Do You Think This Would Sell?

[Flightpath07]

Do You Think This Would Sell?


My idea for an Alpha Flight Volume 5…

This will be an Alpha Flight from an alternate universe (well, I guess “in” or “of” an alternate universe would be the correct way to say it).

What is the catch? What would make it sell?

Peter Parker.

Bear with me.

As most of us know, currently Mr. Parker only exists as a lonely voice in the head of Dr. Octopus, who has taken control of Spiderman’s body and is masquerading as a much more brutal incarnation of Spiderman at this time.

So, what if Marvel incorporated this idea into their bringing back of Peter Parker (as we all know that this will happen at some point)…

…When Peter comes back, he “wakes up” in control of his own body again, or so it seems. Only, as he comes to discover, he is actually in the body of a Peter Parker from/in an alternate universe!

He stays mum about it, as he tries to figure out what happened. He is wary of saying too much, as so many things in “his life” are new to him. For instance, the Peter Parker of the universe he now finds himself in, is a Canadian, and a member of Alpha Flight! Maybe his Uncle Ben is still alive (living happily in Toronto with Aunt May), even.

This would be the new series; “Alt. Alpha Flight”.

In the meantime, the regular spider-titles would continue, with the Parker from the alternate universe now in the body of OUR Peter Parker!

“Alt. Alpha Flight” would feature Jamie and Heather Hudson running the show from behind their desks, with Walter Langkowski as their chief scientist (Walter is not Sasquatch here). The “Alt. Alpha Flight” members would be Groundhog, Saint Elmo, Box (Roger Bochs), Flashback, Northstar, Aurora, Spiderman, Snowbird, Wendigo, and their field leader, Wolverine. Shaman is retired but is an advisor when needed. And, to Peter’s surprise, he is happily married to Snowbird and they have twin demi-god (?) children named Gwen and Jonah, and Peter Parker works as a contracted-scientist for Department H when he isn’t super-heroing.

I’m envisioning a Spiderman costume that is basically white, with the front logos all in eye-catching (and clearly Canadian) red.

Yes, I know I didn’t include Puck, but I thought perhaps in this universe he could have become a villain after being possessed by Raazor? Maybe the same could be true of Purple Girl, Smart Alec, Madison and Lionel Jeffries, etcetera, or they could just be heroes who are not part of this Alpha Flight team at this time (sorry, it is impossible to fit everybody’s favourite Alphan onto this team; shucks!)?

What do you all think? Would it sell? Would you buy it?

I am talking (hypothetically) of a monthly series here, although eventually Peter would have to find his way home, but that storyline could play out for years in the meantime!

[Sypes]

I think anything with AF would be fun. My problem with anything that relates to other universes / alternate realities is that I don't care as much as I do about the main universe / reality. I'm read Ultimate Wolverine recently and just kept thinking "This doesn't affect Marvel's universe... blah."

[Le Messor]

I'd buy the first few issues, at least, decide how I felt about it.
I think, though, if Marvel did that series, they'd do a few slight tweaks.
The alternate reality would have to have some major difference to 616... so they'd be evil. That's what the twist would be, we all know it.
Also, they'd tweak it so it was either the Avengers or X-Men (and now Spidey is a mutant). Then I wouldn't care anymore.

I like it your way better. Look at what Marvel have done to your idea!

~ Le Messor
"Kitman's Law: Pure drivel tends to drive away ordinary drivel."

[Mokole]

I do think an alternate reality connection would work with AF. One idea, besides that, I had years ago was that AF (Puck, Guardian, Sasquatch, Feedback, Aurora/Northstar, Box, Diamond Lil) decide to do something no other team of heroes would ever do: rid the world of some things that simply have no reason to exist: Apocalypse's safe houses and the Zodiac Key. They coordinate strikes to destroy Apocalypse's regeneration places and steal the Zodiac Key from SHIELD. This makes them public enemies, and they have to be heroes by operating underground, with both heroes and villains being their enemies.

[rplass]

I like your "Spider-Flight" idea. You'd need a plausible explanation as to how PP got there, and an overall arc where they are all trying to get him back to his real world/real body. Trim down the cast of characters though, too many BTS players. Love the Demi-god twins, but flesh out their powers; they'd already be powered at birth, right?

[Phil]

I'd buy simply out of completism, but I don't think it'd take off or work.

[Flightpath07]

Well, it was just one quick idea out of many that ramble around my head at various phases of the moon.

Trying to come up with a new twist ("new" being relative, that is) that'd get people who have no interest in an Alpha Flight comic, to buy something that at least 'resembles' an Alpha Flight comic, and thereby potentially attracting said new readers to the actual Alpha Flight.

I'm not saying I'm sending the idea to Marvel, nor am i saying I would like to write it.

But i thank you all for your comments.

[Phil]

I think that given the recent cancellation of AoA and X-Treme X-Men alternate reality books really aren't selling well at the moment, and horseshoeing Spider-Man into Alpha Flight wouldn't go down well.

[Le Messor]

Phil's right...
Then again, if we're looking for popular characters to shoehorn in, Wolverine is made for that.

~ Le Messor
"Kin: An affliction of the blood."

[Chris]

I agree with Phil also. Books that are out of continuity or take place in alternate dimensions don't last very long with the exceptions of the original run of Exiles, Spider-Girl, and the Ultimate line. And now the Ultimate line seems to be floundering. Sales on the Ultimates and Ultimate X-men are not healthy these days. They are fast approaching the 20,000 mark.

I like your Spider-Man idea but the closest we'll ever see of that is maybe an issue of Superior Spider-Man Team Up with Alpha Flight.

[Phil]

I wouldn't go as far as to say I was right; it was just my opinion and thoughts. I could be completely wrong and surprised and it could take off.

[Le Messor]

I wouldn't go as far as to say I was right

We would!

[-K-M-]

Sad thing is not many new Marvel books last. X-Factor is ending (had a good long run though), Winter Soldier, Gambit, and Red She Hulk are on their way out apparently (EDIT: Confirmed they are cancelled). Even new books such as Morbius and Fearless Defenders are selling badly and will be axed. I don't think Captain Marvel is doing too either

[Flightpath07]

Sad thing is not many new Marvel books last. X-Factor is ending (had a good long run though), Winter Soldier, Gambit, and Red She Hulk are on their way out apparently (EDIT: Confirmed they are cancelled). Even new books such as Morbius and Fearless Defenders are selling badly and will be axed. I don't think Captain Marvel is doing too either

I'm a big Morbius fan (the character, that is), but could not get into his new series, so to hear that it is doing poorly is sad but not surprising.

Fearless Defenders? Now, THAT surprises me. Other than the last issue, which was a stupid marvel Age-of-Ultron throw-away issue (meaning, it had basically nothing to do with the plot of the series at all), this series has been hitting it out of the park; just goes to show, people want the same old tripe they are used to, and nothing more ("hey! I sure wish there were more books about/featuring Iron-Man, Thor, Captain America, Wolverine, and Spider-Man, don't you?").

[Phil]

Related: http://www.newsarama.com/17959-marve...nd-losers.html