Hulk - Mayan Rule

[Legerd]

No, I'm sure you didn't, but they often seem to end up that way, don't they? I mean, I wouldn't go as far as 'arrogant' - especially since, as you point out, they can back up their boasts... but I don't always feel like 'my' characters have to be the centre of the universe. I don't always feel like they have to be the best there is at what they do.
As long as they get the job done.
Frankly, I relate better to clumsy people who are up the back and don't feel like the world revolves around them.

I noticed particularly in the Infinity story where they fought Her; at least two of the crossover books I read had one character who was 'the only one who really knew what was going on' (which wasn't particularly obscure in the first place). Ours was one of the villains... Karcass?
I soon realised it was an attempt to manipulate us - readers of this small book could feel proud of their characters, making us want to buy more comics.

It was one thing I could never quite stand about Claremont's writing; all his characters were 'the best' (again, a vague, undefined term in the context).

I never said AF had to be the best of the best, I'm just saying that is why the biggest characters in Marvel are the biggest characters in Marvel. They are the smartest, strongest, most skilled, most powerful, wittiest, etc. What the writers need to do is write AF as being at least more than competent. You may like clumsy characters (hell, I love flawed characters myself), but today those kinds of characters don't draw a large following, or they get changed (like Wolverine) to being "the best". Readers want heroes who remain cool under fire, not ones who fall apart when the situation gets rough.

On the other hand...
You are right in that it'd help Alpha a lot if they could sometimes be seen as 'doing something' (another ill-defined term that gets thrown around a lot). If they contributed in a meaningful way to all the crossovers they get thrown into. If they solved a crisis or two. It'd help them, it might even help the MU as a whole - so it wouldn't always be 'Crisis? Call Richards. Crisis over.' 'We're stranded in a pocket universe with Stark and Potts, Captain America, Mary-Jane, Gwen Stacey, and Gilligan. Well, the Professor will solve it, snap of fingers.'

It'd diversify the characters and the crossovers. I agree with you there.

Also, Legerd, just the other day I was wondering if 'being cool' was still a thing people cared about / strived for...

When I say "doing something" it's out of sheer frustration that whenever AF shows up they invariably become cannon fodder so the villain looks tougher, and when the Avengers, X-men, or FF come in to save the day they look better for it. "Doing something" means "doing anything" rather than being a punching bag. Like you said, if the team could solve the crisis for a change rather than the "A-Listers" saving the day yet again, it would help the characters score some points with the readers. That could also lead to garnering more fans for an ongoing. They don't have to be perfect, but if they could be the ones to win the fight that would be cool.
And people still desire to be "cool" even if that's not the word they use to describe it. "Slick", "badass", "ace", "skilled", whatever, it's all the same thing and the majority of people want to be it--not everyone perhaps, but most everyone. More importantly in this case, they want their heroes to be it.

[Le Messor]

I never said AF had to be the best of the best, I'm just saying that is why the biggest characters in Marvel are the biggest characters in Marvel. They are the smartest, strongest, most skilled, most powerful, wittiest, etc.

Yep, I understand.

IYou may like clumsy characters (hell, I love flawed characters myself), but today those kinds of characters don't draw a large following.

Well, the picture that keeps going through my head when I'm saying that is Spider-Man.

When I say "doing something"

I thought I'd said that, not you... (And then accused myself of being vague.)

They don't have to be perfect, but if they could be the ones to win the fight that would be cool.
And people still desire to be "cool" even if that's not the word they use to describe it.

I think at this stage, we're on the same page.
And this time, it's in the same book.

~ Le Messor
"Individualists unite!"

[-K-M-]

I just was talking to Jeff Parker (very nice man) and he mentioned a very interesting note

"But there's another reason- I originally had Northstar in there and then it was determined his marriage was going to be around that time and he couldn't appear anywhere outside of Astonishing, so Dale had to erase a couple of drawings and I changed the script!"

So Northstar was supposed to appear with team Alpha, but they had to erase him (literally). Must be hard for writers and artists when the editorial axe comes down.

Still I REALLY enjoyed the story, and Northstar wouldn't have added that much but would have been nice to see him with his team.

[Flightpath07]

his marriage was going to be around that time and he couldn't appear anywhere outside of Astonishing

Hm.

Why, exactly, is that?

I mean, Alpha Flight showed up for Northstar's wedding, yet they appeared in Mayan Rule...so who decided that Northstar could not appear, with his team, in another book?

[Le Messor]

Honeymoon, maybe?

[Phil]

I'd imagine editorial wanted to distance him from AF due to it's arguable failure and focus on him solely as an X-Man for marketing reasons.
All purely devils advocate hypothetical.

[Flightpath07]

I'd imagine editorial wanted to distance him from AF due to it's arguable failure and focus on him solely as an X-Man for marketing reasons.
All purely devils advocate hypothetical.

Tend to agree.

[-K-M-]

Kind of similar to how FVL had to deal with his ediotoral headaches.