Alpha Flight #11

[Phil]

I think they were going back to warn Mac not to let Mantlo on the book.

Hmm...

[cmdrkoenig67]

Well, in #10 Hudson would have had to take out all of Omega Flight by himself, since they were all waiting for him. So in th same vein YJ took them all out, knowing more than they did.

But Hudson didn't prevail, did he? He got croaked. ...And did I miss the indepth briefing that Yukon got on Omega Flight before he went back in time?

Dana

[Northcott]

Ow. Good point.

Though imagine how it might have turned out if Hudson had been warned with one simple sentance before he went in: "Roger's been kidnapped and an enemy is controlling the Box unit."

Or if Walt hadn't been suffering a crisis of confidence at the time: if he hadn't been afraid of going bonkers his fight with the early Box unit would have been like a Frat Jock crushing a beer can.

When it boils down to it, Omega were grotesquely outmatched. Only the element of surprise gave them the advantage they needed.

[cmdrkoenig67]

Ow. Good point.

Though imagine how it might have turned out if Hudson had been warned with one simple sentance before he went in: "Roger's been kidnapped and an enemy is controlling the Box unit."

Or if Walt hadn't been suffering a crisis of confidence at the time: if he hadn't been afraid of going bonkers his fight with the early Box unit would have been like a Frat Jock crushing a beer can.

When it boils down to it, Omega were grotesquely outmatched. Only the element of surprise gave them the advantage they needed.

Excellent point, as well, Ed.....however, you'd think that YJ was outmatched by OF(more of their number to his one...and him not knowing really anything about them), but not according to Scott Lobdell...YJ is the kind of "hero" that can take on entire super teams and defeat them all. Which is why I think Yukon Jack deserves his own book.....far, far away from Alpha Flight.

Dana

[Northcott]

Outta curiosity... what are Yukon Jack's powers? I ended up leaving the current rendition of Alpha alone after missing the first few issues (all sold out locally) and then not digging what I did see in the shops after that.

(That's part of the comic-killing cycle, I'd argue: printing only as many issues as have been ordered. I've been screwed on a few of my subscriptions because of that, with Marvel under-printing and leaving me with gaps in the stories.)

I mean, if we're talking a character that can fight off entire super-teams, I'm thinking he'd better be on par with Magneto. Sasquatch was of Hulk-level power; that doesn't qualify? Guardian fought Colossus, Storm, Wolverine, and a berserk Banshee to a near stand-still.

This isn't meant as a dig on Lobdell, but I always twitch when creators ditch characters in a book to throw in their pet projects. No, that's not quite right... I should clarify. I twitch when those pet projects are uber-characters who are invariably tougher, stronger, and more capable than everyone else.

On the one hand you've got Guardian, who can fly at high speeds, has a force field that can take the impact of a tank shell, super-strength, and an energy blast that packs the punch of a couple hundred pounds of TNT (and if you've ever seen what a single stick of dynamite can do, you know to be suitably impressed).

On the other -- what can Jack do? Please, fill me in. After what little I saw, he looked like another above-human level scrapper type character with funky weaponry.

[cmdrkoenig67]

On the other -- what can Jack do? Please, fill me in. After what little I saw, he looked like another above-human level scrapper type character with funky weaponry.

He is(as far has been shown) An above-human level scrapper with a bone knife(LOL), who can project light and can manipulate(magically?) the bones that are on his skin...making them leave his skin and cut through substances, like Box's metal exterior(?) and Diamond Lil's skin(apparently).

Dana

[Northcott]

Ah. Through Lil's skin. Of course. 'Cause invulnerability's not her schtick.

Again:
This isn't meant as a dig on Lobdell, but I always twitch when creators ditch characters in a book to throw in their pet projects. No, that's not quite right... I should clarify. I twitch when those pet projects are uber-characters who are invariably tougher, stronger, and more capable than everyone else.


I hated gambit when he first bloody came out for the same freakin' reason. He was another uber-character that was better than everyone else out there. Multiple powers unrelated to each other; he couldn't be mind-controlled, but could mind-control others; as agile as Nightcrawler, a better fighter than Wolverine, and a more powerful energy blast than Cyclops. Hell, he took out Gladiator (the Imperial Guard's Superman knock-off) with one hit. One. The guy that curb-stomped Colossus.

I think that in fan-fic they're called "Mary Sue" characters.

[Ben]

On the other -- what can Jack do? Please, fill me in. After what little I saw, he looked like another above-human level scrapper type character with funky weaponry.

He is(as far has been shown) An above-human level scrapper with a bone knife(LOL), who can project light and can manipulate(magically?) the bones that are on his skin...making them leave his skin and cut through substances, like Box's metal exterior(?) and Diamond Lil's skin(apparently).

Dana

I don't think we could say that he cut Diamond Lil's skin, just that he disabled her. He may have used his light generating powers to daze her, smothered her with his projectiles, or who knows what else, as we didn't actually see what happened in the battle.

Ben

[Mokole]

Diamond-hard skin doesn't mean you can't suffer internal injuries, so I think that explains it.

[cmdrkoenig67]

I don't think we could say that he cut Diamond Lil's skin, just that he disabled her. He may have used his light generating powers to daze her, smothered her with his projectiles, or who knows what else, as we didn't actually see what happened in the battle.

Ben

She was bleeding from the mouth, Ben.....granted we didn't see what happened, but she was bleeding.

Dana

[cmdrkoenig67]

Diamond-hard skin doesn't mean you can't suffer internal injuries, so I think that explains it.

So I guess we're to surmise that he sent his magical bones down her throat and chopped her up from the inside? I guess that works...if he's a psychotic killer. oh well.

Dana

[cmdrkoenig67]

I think that in fan-fic they're called "Mary Sue" characters.

Nah Ed....Mary Sue characters usually have flings with another character, so the writer can live out his/her fantasies...whoops!...well....he does have one...with Rogue...nevermind...LOL!

Dana

[Northcott]

Diamond-hard skin doesn't mean you can't suffer internal injuries, so I think that explains it.

She'd never have survived a battle if internal injuries were a concern. She's able to laugh off bolts from the Guardian battle suit, and those blasts pack some serious "oomph".

[Ben]

She was bleeding from the mouth, Ben.....granted we didn't see what happened, but she was bleeding.

Dana

actually, she had blood on the side of her face, nothing on or all that close to her mouth. Now other members of Omega Fligher did look to be be bleeding from the mouth, and other areas, and they were all kind heaped in a pile. Really, we don't konw who's blood it is. Yes, it's possible this is a continuity error, certainl have been enough slipped past the editorial staff, but you really can't say for sure what happened to Lil.

Bem

[Le Messor]

A 'Mary-Sue' character usually represents the author. Everyone is in love with the character, who always saves the day; ie: it's the author's fantasy given life.

So, then, is YJ Lobdell's Mary-Sue?

- Le Messor
"Cleanliness is next to impossible."