Heroes fight evildoers
from Ottawa base
World famous comic book publisher turns attention to Canada with Omega Flight series
BY VITO PILIECI
Buried deep in a bunker beneath Parliament Hill, a secret government agency is quietly plotting the deployment of Canada’s newest line of defence.
At least Comics’ story.
The world- renowned comic book publisher is turning its attention to Canada with the release of a new five- part monthly series called Omega Flight. The first instalment of the comic will hit bookstores on April 4.
The Omega Flight team will feature a hand- picked roster of super- heroes who find themselves based in Ottawa, fighting evildoers in a bid to defend the borders of the Great White North.
The funny thing is, only two
that’s
Marvel of the team are actually Canadian. The team also includes three expatriate Americans and one alien.
“ It’s an interesting element,” said Andy Schmidt, editor of the new Omega Flight comic. “ When we first let people in on the roster there was a lot of outcry. Canadians don’t like it … they don’t want the Americans to come in.”
Mr. Schmidt said mixing Americans into the newlyformed group allows the comic’s creative team to explore some storylines related to Canada- U. S. relations.
Almost a month before the comic is set to be released, Canadian comic fans are clamouring to get their hands on an issue.
One group of particularly rabid fans has started an online petition called Fight For The Flight, urging Marvel to make the comic a regular publication instead of a five- part series.
Marvel’s Mr. Schmidt said making the Canadian team a regular feature is a possibility, but it depends on how popular the comic becomes.
“ If the sales are there, we can do more,” he said. “ If they aren’t, we can do five solid issues and then close out.”
Mr. Schmidt and the rest of the book’s creative team have been eagerly studying Canadian geography and culture in order to make sure they represent Canada properly. The Omega Flight team, while based in Ottawa, will travel all over Canada, fighting to protect cities such as Toronto and Vancouver.
The comic starts in a world where the U. S. requires all super- heroes to register their identities and become employees of the military. Doing so allows the heroes to organize themselves in a manner that is much more efficient than ever before.
This sends all of the supervillains scurrying out of the country, and many of them end up in Canada.
“ The comic starts with the prime minister saying: ‘ All of these people are coming over and tearing our cities apart, what can we do about it?’ ” said Mr. Schmidt.
The prime minister, a woman who is not named in the comic, then orders the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to create Omega Flight.
Making up the new superhero team are Canucks Sasquatch and Talisman; U. S. expatriates Arachne, Guardian and U. S. Agent; and the strangely named Beta Ray Bill, an alien.
Sasquatch can change into a beast- like shape, possessing strength that rivals that of the Hulk. Talisman is a type of Shaman, possessing magical abilities. Arachne has abilities very similar to Spider- Man. Guardian’s red- and- white suit gives him super strength and the ability to fly. U. S. Agent is a Captain America- like character carrying his own star- studded shield, and Beta Ray Bill is an alien who possesses the powers of the Nordic God of thunder, Thor.
Marvel is one of the world’s largest comic book companies, responsible for creating such characters as Spider- Man, The Hulk and Captain America.
This isn’t the first time that Marvel has looked north for inspiration.
In fact, according to the storyline, Omega Flight was formed to take the place of the critically acclaimed super- hero team Alpha Flight, which was created by Marvel in the 1970s to defend Canada’s borders during those years.
The entire team of the original Alpha Flight, with the exception of Sasquatch, was killed off during a battle with a group called The Collective in February 2006.
Alpha Flight was originally created by a fictional Canadian government entity called Department H. The department was supposed to be a top- secret research and development agency that was part of Canada’s Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces. Department H was involved in the creation of many of Canada’s most popular super- heroes, including Deadpool and Wolverine. Wolverine has gone from the pages of the comic book to star in cartoons and blockbuster movies, including three X- Men films. He will also appear in his own feature- length film, which could be in theatres as early as 2008.
Omega Flight in the Ottawa Citizen
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