Iron Man Alpha Appearance

[mreeez]

I just bought Marvel Adventures Iron Man #11, and while the artwork was beautiful, I was somewhat disappointed with Alpha Flight's behavior. Alpha seemed to be fighting among themselves almost constantly, and came across as a somewhat unpleasant group. Snowbird especially behaved so spitefully --particularly towards Aurora-- that I was digusted. Yes, there have always been small differeneces between the characters, but I felt their infighting here was exaggerated all out of proportion.

While it was good seeing the classic Alpha team together, and I did appreciate their describing themselves as "family" near the end, let's hope that Alpha behaves better in their next appearance, or people won't understand why we want to revive this team.

I picked it up too and yes there were things that were exagerrated but I tossed it up being a book geared toward kids so they over do things to make sure the point gets through.

[birdygirl]

Thank you for your reply, mreeez. I guess I forgot that this is supposed to be a kids' book. (It did say, "All Ages" on the cover.) Thanks for putting this into proportion for me.

[-K-M-]

Issue was ok, but yeah it defiently was aimed at kids

[Le Messor]

But Snowbird changed directly from wolverine into bear.
Doesn't that cause trouble when she does that? Remember how bad it looked for her when she tried it (bear to owl) in #6? Who can forget that classic image?

- Le Messor
"Fame or integrity: which is more important? Money or happiness: which is more valuable? Success or failure: which is more destructive?"
- Tao Te Ching

[-K-M-]

It used to, but later she could do it no problems. Even in Wolverine she transformed from a Snow Leopard to the Wendigo without returning to her base form first.

[Le Messor]

To be honest, I always thought John Byrne screwed that one up a bit.
If Snowbird isn't her true form, why could she go to that one straight from another anyway?

Maybe it only hurt the first (#6) time?

- Le Messor
"Fanatics have their dreams, wherewith they weave a paradise for a sect."
- Keats

[HappyCanuck]

It used to, but later she could do it no problems. Even in Wolverine she transformed from a Snow Leopard to the Wendigo without returning to her base form first.

Are you sure it was a snow leopard?? I thought she was limited to animals native to Canada. Snow leopards are only found in Asia (aside from those in captivity - which I've always been curious if Narya could use that as a technicality: was it ever established she could only turn into animals NATIVE to Canada, or animals FOUND in Canada? Considering she was "born" long after zoos have been established in Canada, and I can think of at least 3 big zoos in Canada.... Okay, I'm babbling again...)

[-K-M-]

Are you sure it was a snow leopard?? I thought she was limited to animals native to Canada. Snow leopards are only found in Asia (aside from those in captivity - which I've always been curious if Narya could use that as a technicality: was it ever established she could only turn into animals NATIVE to Canada, or animals FOUND in Canada? Considering she was "born" long after zoos have been established in Canada, and I can think of at least 3 big zoos in Canada.... Okay, I'm babbling again...)

I was going by memory, but just looked at it again and perhaps it's a Mountain Lion?

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...rine172-07.jpg

When she was immortal she could transform into animals only native to the Canadian arctic, but when she became a mortal she could transform into any animal in the world

[birdygirl]

Snowbird's changing into ANY animal form was Bill Mantlo's idea. Personally, I always preferred Birdie's ability being limited only to Arctic animals. It seemed more intriguing, and suited to a uniquely-Canadian team.

Actually, once Mantlo introduced this idea (with no explanation of why), he didn't seem to do anything with it. We did see Birdie change into a whale (AF vol1 , #39), but that's a creature of the Arctic. No scenes of her turning into a tiger or a lion or any other creature outside the Arctic. So much for that idea.

[rplass]

I just bought Marvel Adventures Iron Man #11, and while the artwork was beautiful, I was somewhat disappointed with Alpha Flight's behavior. Alpha seemed to be fighting among themselves almost constantly, and came across as a somewhat unpleasant group. Snowbird especially behaved so spitefully --particularly towards Aurora-- that I was digusted. Yes, there have always been small differeneces between the characters, but I felt their infighting here was exaggerated all out of proportion.

While it was good seeing the classic Alpha team together, and I did appreciate their describing themselves as "family" near the end, let's hope that Alpha behaves better in their next appearance, or people won't understand why we want to revive this team.

Well there was plenty of in-fighting in Vol 1, between:
Aurora vs. Northstar - rage so bad they split up in issue 8
Northstar vs. Sasquatch - at times Sasquatch was in berserker rage he was so mad
Marrina vs. Puck - dismembered him in Plodex-rage
Elizabeth vs. Michael - rage over Kathryn's death, then later:
Talisman vs. Shaman - fits of rage over getting trapped in the pouch
probably some others I'm forgetting, too...

and this was all Byrne-era fighting... so much more in later Alpha Flight issues. Even before AF#1, check out Machine Man #18:


and Spidey's opinion of Alpha Flight from Marvel Team-Up Ann#7:



Open conflict between members of teams is not uncommon in team books, and not uncommon in Alpha Flight. This issue's conflict was puerile, but sweetly resolved at the end with the "family" comment, I agree.

Love,
rplass

[birdygirl]

Rplass, thank you for going to the trouble of finding the scenes of AF conflict for us. This proves that team conflict can work if it's done well. And the quote at the end of "Iron Man" about AF's being a family, did take a little of the sting out of what went before.

PS: John Byrne has said that he was pleased by Alpha's appearance in "Machine Man". I remember when this issue was new! Makes me feel old, eh?

[Le Messor]

rplass, it's true that there's always been infighting in Alpha, but two of those were possession. Kinda.
(Sas by Tanaraq, Marrina by her Plodex nature.)

- Le Messor
"Fancy gizmos don’t work."

[cmdrkoenig67]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...Marvel keeps "resurrecting" Alpha (with it's original line-up) for guest appearances (whether it be in comics or cartoons), but for some reason they won't give them a chance in their own series?

I just really don't get it.

Just wait till the "Ultimate" Alpha shows up in UltXM...I bet it will be an "Ultimate" version of the original team too.

[-K-M-]

Just wait till the "Ultimate" Alpha shows up in UltXM...I bet it will be an "Ultimate" version of the original team too.

It is, thus far it's revealed Vindicator, Aurora and Shaman are going to appear.

[Le Messor]

I finally got to read it.
I found the characterisation hit-and-miss.
Snowbird felt too modern. Bucking the trend (so maybe they did capture his personality!) Northstar was less snipish and arrogant than his real appearances.

The infighting was a problem for me. Yes, they've had it in 616. Yes, it's a kids' book, which apparently means unsubtle. But there's too much of it. Way too much.
Where did the Snowbird / Aurora infighting come from? They've barely interracted in the comics, much less fought like that.
The 'We Are Family' moment felt tacked-on.

I liked the laser's return was an homage to 9-10, Sas vs Skrull.

- Le Messor
"Fight floccinaucinihilpillification and antidisestablishmentarianism."