View source for Alpha Flight

{{Short description|Group of fictional characters}}
{{For|the comic book|Alpha Flight (comic book)}}
{{Infobox comics organization <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
<!-- Group section -->
|image               = Alpha Flight cast picture (John Byrne era).gif
|caption             = Alpha Flight promotional art by [[John Byrne (comics)|John Byrne]]<br />Top row: [[Sasquatch (comics)|Sasquatch]]<br />Middle row: [[Northstar (character)|Northstar]], [[Snowbird (character)|Snowbird]], [[Shaman (comics)|Shaman]], [[Guardian (Marvel Comics)|Guardian]], [[Aurora (comics)|Aurora]]<br />Bottom row: [[Puck (Marvel Comics)|Puck]], [[Marrina Smallwood]]
|publisher           = [[Marvel Comics]]
|debut               = {{ubl|Cameo: ''[[The Uncanny X-Men]]'' #120 (April 1979)|Full: ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #121 (May 1979)}}
|creators            = [[John Byrne (comics)|John Byrne]]
|type                = Team
|business            = 
|organization        = y
|team                = 
|base                = {{ubl|[[Parliament Hill]]|Tamarind Island|[[Maison Alpha]]|[[Department H]]}}
|members             = {{ubl|'''Current members:''' |[[Aurora (comics)|Aurora]]|[[Guardian (Marvel Comics)|Guardian]]|[[Vindicator (comics)|Nemesis]]|[[Northstar (character)|Northstar]]|[[Puck (Marvel Comics)|Puck]]|[[Shaman (comics)|Shaman]]|[[Snowbird (character)|Snowbird]]}}
|fullroster          = [[List of Flight members|List of Alpha Flight members]]
<!-- Category section -->
|cat                 = teams
|subcat              = Marvel Comics
|altcat              = 
|hero                = y
|villain             = 
|sortkey             = Alpha Flight
}}
'''Alpha Flight''' is a fictional team of [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[superhero]]es appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]]. The characters premiered in ''[[The Uncanny X-Men]]'' #120 (April 1979), and were created to serve as part of the [[X-Men]] member [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]]'s backstory. Marvel published an ''[[Alpha Flight (comic book)|Alpha Flight]]'' comic book series from 1983 to 1994. The team serves as Marvel's premier [[Canadian]] superhero team akin to [[United States of America|America]]'s [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]].

==Publication history==
Created by British-born Canadian-raised writer and artist [[John Byrne (comics)|John Byrne]], the team's leader - Weapon Alpha (later renamed to [[Guardian (Marvel Comics)|Guardian]]), first appeared in ''[[The Uncanny X-Men]]'' #109. The full team, which was also created by Byrne,<ref name=MAge32>{{cite magazine |first=Ken |last=Hart |title=When Teams Team Up: X-Men and Alpha Flight |magazine=[[Marvel Age]] |issue=32 |pages=18-20 |publisher=[[Marvel Comics]] |date=November 1985 |location=New York, New York}}</ref> then first appeared in a two-part story in ''[[The Uncanny X-Men]]'' #120 and 121. Byrne never intended the team to be an ongoing title. He created them "merely to survive a fight with the X-Men" for the purposes of that story. Marvel convinced Byrne to feature them in their own series as a way to capitalize on Byrne's soaring popularity with comics fans at the time, but he never found them to have compelling stories or backgrounds and left the title after writing and [[Penciller|pencilling]] the first 28 issues.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Byrne Robotics: FAQ |url=http://www.byrnerobotics.com/FAQ/listing.asp?ID=3&T1=Questions+about+Aborted+Storylines#60|access-date=2021-11-25|website=www.byrnerobotics.com}}</ref>

The 1985 ''X-Men and Alpha Flight'' [[Limited series (comics)|limited series]] was originally to be pencilled by Byrne, but he was unable to fit it into his heavy schedule, so the assignment was given to former ''X-Men'' artist [[Paul Smith (comics)|Paul Smith]], who had never drawn Alpha Flight before. Smith said his approach was to try "to be faithful to the way John did them without drawing them the way John's drawn them."<ref name=MAge32/> The series was written by [[Chris Claremont]], who collaborated with Byrne on the story which introduced Alpha Flight,<ref name=MAge32/> and [[Inker|inked]] by [[Bob Wiacek]], who was the inker on ''Alpha Flight'' for most of Byrne's last year on the series.

Alpha Flight's ongoing series continued until 1994, lasting 130 issues as well as annuals and miniseries. There have been three short-lived revivals since then, including an eight-issue limited series in 2011–12, after the resurrection of the team in the one shot comic ''Chaos War: Alpha Flight'' during the ''[[Chaos War (comics)|Chaos War]]'' event.

Most team members have distinctly Canadian attributes, such as having [[Inuit]]/[[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] or [[French-Canadian|French]] heritage. Throughout most of its history, the team has worked for [[Department H]], a fictional branch of Canada's [[Department of National Defence (Canada)|Department of National Defence]] that deals with super-powered villains.

==Fictional team biography==
===The Flight===
Alpha Flight was preceded by a team called "The Flight". This team first appeared in ''Alpha Flight Special'' vol. 2 #1 (1992).

Inspired by the debut of the [[Fantastic Four]], [[Guardian (Marvel Comics)|James Hudson]] refined the purpose of [[Department H]] to find and develop Canada's superheroes.<ref>{{Cite comic | cartoonist=[[John Byrne (comics)|Byrne, John]] | story=Origin of Alpha Flight: Purpose | title=Alpha Flight | issue=#3 | date=October 1983 | publisher=[[Marvel Comics]] | location=New York, New York | pages=18–22 | url=http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=37852#2}}</ref> New recruit [[Groundhog (comics)|Groundhog]] joins [[Snowbird (character)|Snowbird]], St. Elmo, Stitch, [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]] (as Weapon X) and [[Smart Alec (comics)|Smart Alec]] in training. Within a week, the Flight is pressed into their first battle with [[Egghead (Marvel Comics)|Egghead]]'s incarnation of the [[Emissaries of Evil]] (consisting of [[Rhino (character)|Rhino]], [[Solarr]], [[Eel (Marvel Comics)|Eel]], [[Porcupine (character)|Porcupine]], [[Erik Josten|Power Man]] and [[Swordsman (character)|Swordsman]]). Egghead threatens the United States from Canadian soil with a [[Nuclear weapons delivery|nuclear missile]]. Smart Alec disables the missile's guidance system, but Egghead triggers the detonation sequence. Smart Alec panics, leading to St. Elmo transforming the missile and the bomb into light. St. Elmo succeeds, but loses himself in the process. Groundhog and [[Shaman (comics)|Michael Twoyoungmen]] scold Hudson for sending the team into battle while so inexperienced, with a near psychotic leader (Weapon X) and someone who folds under pressure. Hudson thus makes plans for a tiered team system, leading to the formation of Alpha, Beta and Gamma Flight.<ref>{{Cite comic | writer=[[Scott Lobdell|Lobdell, Scott]] | cowriters=[[Simon Furman]] | penciller=Broderick, Patrick | inker=Patterson, Bruce | story=First Flight | title=Alpha Flight Special | volume=2 | issue=#1 | date=1992 | publisher=Marvel Comics | location=New York, New York | url=http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=50616}}</ref>

===Pre-regular series===
Alpha Flight first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #120 (April 1979), in which they are sent to follow up on Vindicator's first mission to retrieve Wolverine from the X-Men (''The Uncanny X-Men'' #109).

The initial makeup of (Alpha Flight) was drawn from all corners of Canada and included:

* [[Guardian (Marvel Comics)|Guardian]]: Originally Weapon Alpha, then Vindicator, James MacDonald Hudson is a scientist from [[London, Ontario|London]], [[Ontario]] who wears a suit of [[Powered exoskeleton|battle-armor]], allowing him to fly and manipulate Earth's magnetic field. Guardian is the team's first leader; he wears a stylized [[Flag of Canada|Canadian maple leaf flag]] on his costume.
* [[Northstar (character)|Northstar]]: Jean-Paul Beaubier from [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]] is a mutant with powers of super-speed and light generation.
* [[Aurora (comics)|Aurora]]: Jeanne-Marie Beaubier is Northstar's twin sister who suffers from [[dissociative identity disorder]] (multiple personalities). Like her brother, she is also a mutant with powers of super-speed, flight, light generation, and molecular acceleration.
* [[Sasquatch (comics)|Sasquatch]]: Walter Langowski is a scientist from [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]] who can transform into a giant fur-covered beast resembling his [[Bigfoot|namesake]]. This character originally developed his powers from a [[Hulk]]-inspired gamma radiation experiment that was affected by a solar-flare. Eventually, it was explained that Sasquatch's powers are actually derived from the mystical monster Tanaraq.
* [[Shaman (comics)|Shaman]]: Michael Twoyoungmen is a [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] [[medicine man]] from [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]]. He is both a skilled doctor and sorcerer.
* [[Snowbird (character)|Snowbird]]: Also known as Narya, she is an [[Inuit|Inuk]] demi-goddess from [[Yellowknife, Northwest Territories|Yellowknife]], [[Northwest Territories]] who can transform into animals of the north.<ref name="Comic Book Resources 2016">{{cite web | title="Captain Marvel" #1 Introduces the New Alpha Flight | website=Comic Book Resources | date=2016-01-20 | url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/captain-marvel-1-introduces-the-new-alpha-flight | access-date=2016-06-03 | archive-date=2016-06-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605025726/http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/captain-marvel-1-introduces-the-new-alpha-flight | url-status=dead }}</ref>

According to Byrne, Guardian and Snowbird were "fan characters", created before he became professionally involved in comics, and he created all the remaining members while working on ''X-Men'' #120, specifically designing them to be balanced with the X-Men in power.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Nickerson|first=Al |title=Claremont and Byrne: The Team that Made the X-Men Uncanny|journal=[[Back Issue!]]|issue=#29 |page=7|publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date=August 2008|location=Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref>

===Volume 1===
The first ''([[Alpha Flight (comic book)|Alpha Flight]])'' comic book series started in 1983 which ran until 1994.

Promoted from [[Beta Flight]] despite Department H being closed down by the Canadian government were:
* [[Marrina Smallwood]]: An amphibious woman from [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]], she was a former member of [[Beta Flight]] before joining Alpha Flight. She is actually part of an extraterrestrial invading force known as the [[Plodex]].
* [[Puck (Marvel Comics)|Puck]]: Eugene Judd is a [[dwarfism|dwarf]] bouncer from [[Saskatoon]], [[Saskatchewan]] with enhanced strength and extraordinary acrobatic abilities.

Heather MacNeil is married to James Hudson. After Guardian's apparent death in ''Alpha Flight'' #12, she becomes the leader of the team. Later, she utilizes a replica of his battle suit and costume and takes the codename of [[Vindicator (comics)|Vindicator]] then Guardian.

''Alpha Flight'' continued for 130 issues, and introduced dozens of characters and villains (the most prominent of which were [[Talisman (Alpha Flight)|Talisman]], [[Madison Jeffries]], [[Box (comics)|Box]], [[Diamond Lil (Marvel Comics)|Diamond Lil]], [[Wild Child (character)|Wild Child]], [[Persuasion (comics)|Persuasion]], and [[Witchfire (Marvel Comics)|Witchfire]]).

'''Limited-Series (1991)'''
This limited series, published from July to October 1991, reprints Alpha Flight (Volume 1) #97-#100.

===Volume 2===
In 1997, Marvel relaunched the series with different characters. The new additions to the roster included:

* [[Flex (comics)|Flex]]: Adrian Corbo is a mutant with the ability to transform his limbs into sharp weapons. He is the half-brother of Radius.
* [[Manbot]]: Bernie Lechenay is a human/Box robot cyborg.
* [[Murmur (Marvel Comics)|Murmur]]: Arlette Truffaut is a young mutant from [[Quebec City]], [[Quebec]] with powers of mind-control and teleportation.
* [[Radius (comics)|Radius]]: Jared Corbo is a mutant with the ability to create a force field.
* General Clarke: The sinister new director of [[Department H]], responsible for many of the dark plots surrounding the team. Gains some measure of redemption with his sacrifice in issue #12.

Returning members were [[Vindicator (comics)|Vindicator]] (Heather Hudson, with a new costume and new geothermal powers), a de-aged Guardian (who turned out to be a clone of the original James Hudson, set at age 19), and [[Puck (Marvel Comics)|Puck]]. [[Sunfire (comics)|Sunfire]] was also briefly a member while looking for a cure to a crippling illness.

The focus of this series was on Department H's consistently hidden agenda and Alpha Flight's reluctance to comply thereto. The conspiracy plotline saw Department H allowing an incarnation of the Zodiac Cartel to kidnap Madison Jeffries, who was subsequently brainwashed into becoming the group's "Gemini". To keep the group from interfering with their "deal", Department H brainwashed the team into forgetting Jeffries' kidnapping. Also, Department H employed an actual sasquatch as the new team's version of Sasquatch, without telling the team that it was not Walter Langkowski. Department H also arranged the kidnapping of Diamond Lil, another former Alpha Flight member and Madison Jeffries' wife, when she began to inquire about the location of her husband, with the intent of using her as a test subject for illegal medical experiments.

The series ended with issue #20 with most of the major storylines, such as the identity of the younger version of Guardian, unresolved, until ''Wolverine'' vol. 2 #142-143, when the plotline was resolved with the return of the real Guardian and the heroic sacrifice of the clone version.

===Volume 3: "All-New, All-Different" Alpha Flight===
In 2004, Marvel started a new volume of Alpha Flight, with the "All-New, All-Different" prefix.

The new team recruited by [[Sasquatch (comics)|Sasquatch]] includes:

* [[Centennial (comics)|Centennial]]: Rutherford Princeton is a 97-year-old man whose mutant powers of superhuman strength, invulnerability, flight, and heat vision manifested after being awakened from a [[coma]] by Sasquatch.
* [[Major Mapleleaf]]: Lou Sadler is the son of a [[World War II]] super-hero of the same name. He is secretly a normal human who rides a superpowered horse.
* [[Nemesis (Alpha Flight)|Nemesis]]: Amelia Weatherly is both an adversary and ally of the old Alpha Flight. She has the power of flight and is skilled with a magical blade.
* [[Puck (Marvel Comics)#Puck (Zuzha Yu)|Puck]]: Zuzha Yu is the daughter of the original Puck. She has superhuman strength, speed, and agility.
* [[Yukon Jack]]: Also known as Yukotujakzurjimozoata, he is a mysterious man from a primitive tribe, bought from his father by Sasquatch.

"Waxing Poetic", the second six-issue story arc, sees the return of some original team members as both the original versions visited in the past, and temporal copies brought to the present. These members were Guardian, Vindicator, Puck, and Shaman.

===Omega Flight===
{{Main|Omega Flight}}
[[Sasquatch (comics)|Sasquatch]], [[Guardian (Marvel Comics)|Guardian]], [[Vindicator (comics)|Vindicator]], [[Shaman (comics)|Shaman]], Major Mapleleaf, and both [[Puck (Marvel Comics)|Pucks]] are attacked and killed by a new villain, [[Xorn|the Collective]] (inhabiting the body of postal worker [[Michael Pointer (character)|Michael Pointer]]), in ''[[New Avengers]]'' #16. Pointer continues on to the United States, leaving their bodies in the [[Yukon]] Territory.

The ''Alpha Flight'' title was relaunched as ''[[Omega Flight]]'' in April, 2007 as a five-issue mini-series.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://classic.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Aprl07/solicitations.html | website= newsarama.com| title= MARVEL COMICS SOLICITATIONS FOR APRIL 2007}}{{dead link|date=July 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The new series was written by [[Michael Avon Oeming]] and drawn by [[Scott Kolins]]. The current roster includes [[Beta Ray Bill]], [[U.S. Agent]], [[Julia Carpenter|Arachne]], [[Talisman (Alpha Flight)|Talisman]], and Michael Pointer in a suit that looks like Guardian's uniform. Sasquatch appears as the group's recruiter and leader. Since the mini-series, the team disbanded. Beta Ray Bill exited; U.S. Agent joined [[Hank Pym]]'s new Avengers team; Pointer, now calling himself Omega, joined Norman Osborn's [[Dark X-Men]]; and Julia Carpenter became the new [[Madame Web]].

==="Chaos War"===
[[File:6.18.11VanLentePakPanicciaByLuigiNovi2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Fred Van Lente]], [[Greg Pak]] and Mark Paniccia at a signing for ''Alpha Flight'', vol. 4 #1 at [[Midtown Comics]] Downtown in Manhattan, June 18, 2011.]]
In the 2010 storyline ''[[Chaos War]]'', the four mainstay surviving members of Alpha Flight (Snowbird, Aurora, Northstar and Sasquatch) are reunited with Guardian, Vindicator, Shaman and Marrina Smallwood returning from the grave after [[Amatsu-Mikaboshi (character)|Amatsu-Mikaboshi]]'s victory in the death realms.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=27862 |title=McCann Brings "Alpha Flight" Back From the Omega |work=Comic Book Resources |date=17 August 2010 |access-date=2014-07-11}}</ref> The group bands together to fight the Great Beasts. Amatsu-Mikaboshi impales the Great Beasts.<ref>''Chaos War: Alpha Flight'' #1. Marvel Comics.</ref> The resurrected members of Alpha Flight remain among the living after the defeat of Amatsu-Mikaboshi.<ref>''Chaos War'' #5. Marvel Comics.</ref> At the same time, Puck appears in the "Wolverine Goes to Hell" storyline in ''Wolverine'' (2010), beginning in issue #2.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=28175 |title=Cup O' Joe: Marvel T&A: Brevoort's Big Ideas |work=Comic Book Resources |date=3 September 2010 |access-date=2014-07-11}}</ref>

===Volume 4===
In 2011, the team appeared in a series tied to the crossover storyline ''[[Fear Itself (comics)|Fear Itself]]'',<ref>{{cite web|author=Jason Brice |url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/130913648973551.htm |title=TAG TEAM REVIEW: Alpha Flight #1 Review – Line of Fire Reviews | work= Comics Bulletin |access-date=2016-02-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110702013211/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/130913648973551.htm |archive-date=July 2, 2011 }}</ref> with the newly alive team to be joined by Puck.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=30845 |title=Marvel's Next Big Thing: Alpha Flight |work=Comic Book Resources |date=15 February 2011 |access-date=2014-07-11}}</ref> Alpha Flight provides rescue efforts for the victims of a tsunami unleashed by [[Attuma]] in the form of Nerkodd: Breaker of Oceans. As Sasquatch, Shaman, and Vindicator help save victims of the water itself, Guardian saves a news crew when their helicopter is shot down by Nerkodd. As Marrina Smallwood and Aurora also arrive to help fight Nerkodd, the female reporter that Guardian saved comments to the television viewers on why Northstar isn't with the team.

After providing rescue efforts for victims of the disaster, Guardian ejects Nerkodd from the country by dumping him off the coast of Cape Race. Once Nerkodd is defeated and repelled, Alpha Flight returns to their headquarters and are betrayed by Gary Cody and his newly elected Unity Party. To make things worse, Vindicator has sided with him.<ref>''Alpha Flight'' vol. 4 #1. Marvel Comics.</ref> It is shown that six weeks ago, Guardian and Vindicator were unable to regain custody of their child Claire. In the present, Marrina is dehydrated, Sasquatch's gamma energy is drained enough for him to revert to his human form of Walter Langkowski, and Aurora and Snowbird are taken down as well. While bringing Guardian to the Box Units for imprisonment, Vindicator is ambushed by [[Puck (Marvel Comics)|Puck]]. After knocking out Vindicator, Puck tells Guardian that he had just returned to life after his fight with Ba'al.<ref>''Alpha Flight'' vol. 4 #2. Marvel Comics.</ref>

At Parliament Hill, Walter is informed by Agent Jeff Brown that the concussions he had when he played football will cause him to act less human when he changes back into Sasquatch. Jeff also tells Walter that he will soon achieve Unity. Meanwhile, Marrina pretends to give in to the Unity treatment so that she can break free. Shaman manages to knock out Jeff and frees Walter, while Guardian frees Snowbird. Northstar and Puck manage to find Marrina, who has knocked out the guards and scientists present. After Alpha Flight escaped, they learned that Gary Cody and his Unity Party are a group of fascists.<ref>''Alpha Flight'' Vol. 4 #3. Marvel Comics.</ref> Northstar abducts a Department H operative and uses aerial torture in order to learn where Department H took Kyle Jinadu.

After reclaiming her daughter Claire from her cousin, Vindicator assembles Alpha Strike (consisting of [[Persuasion (comics)|Persuasion]], Ranark, a [[Wendigo (comics)|Wendigo]], and a brainwashed Citadel) in order to spread the Unity program and take down Alpha Flight. It is soon discovered that [[Master of the World (character)|Master of the World]] is behind the Unity Party, the formation of Alpha Strike and what has happened to Department H as he introduces himself to Kyle Jinadu.<ref>''Alpha Flight'' vol. 4 #4. Marvel Comics.</ref>

Alpha Flight ends up robbing a treasury to fund a special tactical training from [[Taskmaster (character)|Taskmaster]] in an isolated Yukon Territory. While overseeing the formation of a revolution against the Unity Party, Guardian, Sasquatch, and Shaman hatch a desperate and dangerous plan that involves the bad personality of Aurora.<ref>''Alpha Flight'' vol. 4 #5. Marvel Comics.</ref> Aurora's personality begins to cause her to become unstable to herself and Alpha Flight. Meanwhile, the Master of the World explains his history involving the Plodex to Claire. Alpha Flight manages to rescue Kyle Jinadu and encounter Wolverine.<ref>''Alpha Flight'' vol. 4 #6. Marvel Comics.</ref>

At a beach in Ontario with Claire, Vindicator is visited by Wolverine who states that the people in the United States are becoming concerned about the Unity Party's actions. When Wolverine notices that Vindicator calls the rest of Alpha Flight traitors, Wolverine decides to investigate. Wolverine finds Alpha Flight and learns of their revolution against the Unity Party. He agrees to help them take back Canada just as Alpha Strike attacks. During the ensuing fight, Alpha Flight managed to capture Persuasion as she is a component for a cure that would be used against the Unity Process. Alpha Flight, Wolverine, and Taskmaster are then prepared to take Canada back as Master of the World comes out of hiding.<ref>''Alpha Flight'' vol. 4 #7. Marvel Comics.</ref>

Master of the World begins his attack on Parliament Hill with Agent Jeff Brown and Claire Hudson present in his spaceship. He even manages to kill Gary Cody, his purpose served. Guardian continues to fight Vindicator as she orders the rest of Alpha Strike to free Persuasion and destroy the machine connected to her.

Alpha Flight defeats Alpha Strike. Vindicator (still under of Master of the World's mental control) helps Alpha Flight against Master of the World when he attempts to kill Claire. Alpha Flight successfully creates the machine to free the people that Master of the World had under his mental control. They kill Master of the World, but Vindicator flies away with Claire. Afterward, Alpha Flight celebrates after the Unity Party is abolished.<ref>''Alpha Flight'' vol. 4 #8. Marvel Comics.</ref>

Alpha Flight later aids [[Thunderbolt Ross|Red Hulk]] when the Mayan Gods appear on Earth.<ref>''Hulk'' vol. 2 #53. Marvel Comics.</ref> The battle results with Aurora, Sasquatch, and Snowbird in a coma, but they recover.<ref>''Hulk'' vol. 2 #54. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===Space program version===
A different version of Alpha Flight debuted as part of the ''[[All-New, All-Different Marvel]]'' event. This version is a space program that becomes Earth's line of defense from extraterrestrial threats and resides in the Alpha Flight Low-Orbit Space Station. Its members include [[Carol Danvers|Captain Marvel]], [[Abigail Brand]], [[Aurora (comics)|Aurora]], [[Puck (Marvel Comics)|Puck]], and [[Sasquatch (comics)|Sasquatch]].<ref>''Avengers'' vol. 6 #0. Marvel Comics.</ref> The first wing of the Triskelion is where the ground crew of the Alpha Flight space program resides.<ref>''Ultimates'' vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.</ref>

[[Black Panther (character)|Black Panther]] also sent a group of Alpha Flight explorers to search for the origin of the Mena Ngai.<ref>''Secret Wars'' #9. Marvel Comics.</ref> While exploring the Vega System, the explorers' travels took them through a temporal anomaly into the past, where they established over the next two-thousand years the Intergalactic Empire of [[Wakanda]], named after their homeland.<ref>''Black Panther'' vol. 7 #12. Marvel Comics.</ref>

During the "[[Civil War II]]" storyline, it is revealed that the Alpha Flight Space Program is overseen by its [[Board of governors|Board of Governors]], which consists of representatives of the different nations of Earth and other planets that share the Alpha Flight Space Program's interests. Known members of the Alpha Flight Space Program's Board of Governors are Black Panther of Wakanda, [[Henry Peter Gyrich]] of the United States, Philippe Beaulieu of Canada (revealed to be a revived Master of the World in disguise), [[Mentor (Imperial Guard)|Mentor]] of the [[Shi'ar]], Bar-Konn of the [[Kree]], an unnamed [[Rigellians (comics)|Rigellian]] ambassador, and an unnamed [[Kronan (comics)|Kronan]] ambassador.<ref>''Captain Marvel'' vol. 9 #6. Marvel Comics.</ref>

During the "[[Secret Empire (2017 comic)|Secret Empire]]" crossover, Alpha Flight assisted Captain Marvel with protecting Earth from a [[Chitauri]] invasion, but were trapped in space once Captain America activated a [[force field (fiction)|force field]] around Earth.<ref>''Secret Empire'' #0. Marvel Comics.</ref>

In order to track down Hulk after he escaped from General [[Reginald Fortean]]'s custody, a depowered Walter Langkowski started the space program's version of [[Gamma Flight]].<ref>''The Immortal Hulk'' #8. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===Return of the original team===
The original lineup of Alpha Flight would be revived as Canada's top superhero team once more in their post-space program years consisting of Guardian, Aurora, Northstar, Snowbird, Sasquatch, Puck and Marrina.<ref>''Alpha Flight: True North'' #1. Marvel Comics. Marvel Comics.</ref>

===Volume 5===
During the "[[Fall of X]]" relaunch, the human members of Alpha Flight (Guardian, Snowbird, Shaman, and Puck) are ordered by Department H to hunt down mutants after the anti-mutant organization [[Orchis (comics)|Orchis]] manipulates the Canadian government including Department H director Erika Doiran into declaring Canadian mutants like Argent threats to the country. The team's actions puts them at odds with their former mutant members Northstar and Aurora, who are joined by Aurora's lover and Wolverine's son [[Daken|Fang]] and the new [[Nemesis (Alpha Flight)|Nemesis]], later revealed to be [[Vindicator (comics)|Heather Hudson]], with both sides battling each other. Unbeknownst to Department H and the public, the two Alpha Flight factions are secretly working with each other to help smuggle Canadian mutants off-world to Shi'ar space.<ref>''Alpha Flight'' vol. 5 #1. Marvel Comics.</ref> However, Alpha Flight becomes compromised when Department H deploys [[Sentinel (comics)|Box Sentinel]]s to apprehend Canadian mutants.<ref>''Alpha Flight'' vol. 5 #2. Marvel Comics.</ref> While Alpha Flight succeeds in sending the refugees to [[Shi'ar|Chandilar]], with their ruse getting discovered in the process and the cost of Argent getting killed by the Box Sentinels, the remaining human members are arrested by Department H for treason with a comatose Heather Hudson ending up in their medical quarters.<ref>''Alpha Flight'' vol. 5 #5. Marvel Comics.</ref>

==Notable villains==
Alpha Flight has fought many criminals and malevolent entities. Many were unique to them as they were based in Canada. Notable examples include:

* Bedlam - A prisoner gifted powers and leader of the Derangers.
* Citadel - An injured soldier who had [[adamantium]] grafted to his skin.
* Deadly Ernest (Ernest St. Ives) - An immortal soldier with a death touch. He was killed by his daughter [[Nemesis (Alpha Flight)|Isabel]].
* [[Dreamqueen]]
* Gilded Lily - A long-lived alchemist.
* [[Great Beasts]] – The Great Beasts are supernatural creatures.
* [[Jerry Jaxon]] and his [[Omega Flight]]
* [[Master of the World (character)|Master of the World]] - An immortal caveman who gained superhuman physical abilities and intelligence from Plodex experimentation.
* [[Pestilence (comics)|Pestilence]] (J.R. Crozier) - A centuries old ship doctor placed in suspended animation in permafrost.
* [[Pink Pearl (comics)|Pink Pearl]]
* The Plodex - A brutal conquering alien race, of which [[Marrina Smallwood]] is a member.
* [[Ranark the Ravager|Ranark]] - A centuries-old shaman.
* [[Wendigo (comics)|Wendigo]] - A race of creatures that fought Alpha Flight on occasion.

==Other versions==
===Marvel Adventures===
In issue #11 of ''[[Marvel Adventures]] [[Iron Man]]'', Tony Stark travels to Nunavut to try to find his father Howard. As he is flying through a series of mountains, he is attacked by Alpha Flight after Northstar and Aurora mistake him for a training robot built by Guardian. After the real drone appears, Sasquatch and Guardian make some hasty apologies before Iron Man continues on his mission. Later in the issue, Alpha Flight aids Iron Man in a battle against the [[Living Laser]].

===Marvel Zombies===
A [[Marvel Zombies|zombified version]] of Alpha Flight (consisting of Guardian, Northstar, Aurora, Sasquatch, Puck, and Snowbird) appeared in the first issue of ''[[Marvel Zombies: Dead Days]]'', attacking the X-Men at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, and killing [[Professor X]] in the process. They are later killed by [[Magneto (Marvel Comics)|Magneto]], who uses his powers to make various metallic objects pierce their brains.

===Old Man Logan===
In ''Old Man Logan'' vol. 2 #17, [[Old Man Logan|Logan]] is shown a vision of the dead Alpha Flight (consisting of Guardian, Northstar, Aurora, Sasquatch, Puck and Snowbird) by [[Jean Grey|a young Jean Grey]].

===Ultimate Marvel===
In the ''[[Ultimate Marvel]]'' reality, Alpha Flight debuted in ''[[Ultimate X-Men]]'' #94 with [[Vindicator (comics)#Ultimate Marvel|Vindicator]] (formally [[Kestrel (Marvel Comics)#Ultimate Marvel|Col. John Wraith]] of [[Weapon X#Ultimate Marvel|Weapon X]]), [[Shaman (comics)#Ultimate Marvel|Shaman]] ([[Thunderbird (John Proudstar)#Ultimate Marvel|John Proudstar]]), [[Jubilee (Marvel Comics)#Ultimate Marvel|Jubilee]], [[Sunfire (comics)#Ultimate Marvel|Sunfire]], [[Sasquatch (comics)#Ultimate Marvel|Sasquatch]] ([[Wolfsbane (character)#Ultimate Marvel|Rahne Sinclair]]), [[Snowbird (character)#Ultimate Marvel|Snowbird]] ([[Danielle Moonstar#Ultimate Marvel|Danielle Moonstar]]), and [[Aurora (comics)#Ultimate Marvel|Aurora]]. The team ambushes the X-Men in the middle of a friendly [[baseball]] game. All of its members appear to use godlike powers; they easily defeat the X-Men and kidnap [[Northstar (character)#Ultimate Marvel|Northstar]]. It is later revealed by Wolverine, who apparently has a history with them, that they used a drug called "[[Banshee (character)|Banshee]]" to enhance their abilities, making them more powerful than normal mutants. Vindicator claims that Alpha Flight is the first internationally sanctioned mutant team made powerful enough to take on any "considerable" threats such as the [[Masters of Evil#Ultimate Marvel|Liberators]], the [[Brotherhood of Mutants#Ultimate Marvel|Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy]], and the [[Ultimates]], as Vindicator sees the latter as loyal only to America and Alpha Flight to the world. They are defeated by [[Colossus (character)#Ultimate Marvel|Colossus]]'s team of X-Men who were also being powered by Banshee.<ref>''Ultimate X-Men'' #94</ref>

===What If?===
Alpha Flight was featured in the different "[[What If (comics)|What If?]]" stories:

* In "What If The All-New All-Different X-Men Had Never Existed," Wolverine is shown to be the leader of Alpha Flight when they are loaned to the Japanese government who needed help dealing with Moses Magnum when the Japanese government was unable to reach the Avengers. Both Alpha Flight and the X-Men defeated Moses Magnum.<ref>''What If?'' vol. 2 #23. Marvel Comics.</ref>
* In "What If Wolverine Was Leader Of Alpha Flight?", the team succeeded in capturing Logan after their fight with the X-Men. In this reality, Logan did not escape from Canadian custody and slip aboard the X-Men's plane. The team chose to turn back around and mount a rescue. The military called Department H to get them to talk the X-Men out of it before the military handled it. Northstar was on monitor duty and chose not to respond. The military then shot the X-Men down- none of them survived the crash. Hudson told Logan face to face with nobody between them, half expecting Logan to kill him. Instead, he told Hudson that since his new family was dead, he had nothing left but to stay with Alpha Flight. He immediately led a mission into the Negative Zone to rescue their Beta and Gamma Flight trainees Puck, Marrina, Smart Alec, Wild Child, Flashback and Box, who had been kidnapped by Annihilus during an experiment by Department H scientists to open doorways to other dimensions. Hudson couldn't lead the rescue mission as Vindicator- he had to stay behind and operate the machinery that controlled the Negative Zone gateway. Wolverine led Shaman, Northstar, Aurora, Sasquatch and Snowbird in, and not only rescued their people, but negotiated peace with Annihilus. He taught Wild Child to control his savagery and got the team to bond better than Hudson ever could, but Northstar was always nervous around Wolverine because of what he did. Hudson knew what would happen if Logan ever learned about Northstar's role in the X-Men's deaths. Their worst fear happened when Professor X and the surviving X-Men (Iceman, Havok, Beast, Angel) called for help. The Hellfire Club had captured them all and transformed Jean Gray into Dark Phoenix. Alpha Flight rescued them, but Dark Phoenix telepathically showed Wolverine what Northstar did. She tried to get him to kill Northstar, but he killed her instead to free her from the curse of Dark Phoenix. Hudson expected Logan to quit the team, but Logan surprised him by forgiving Northstar and agreeing to stay on as leader of Alpha Flight.<ref>''What If?'' vol. 2 #59. Marvel Comics.</ref>
* In "What if... Wolverine had battled [[Weapon X]]?", the Flight members were in the middle of their training when Guy Desjardins (Weapon X) breaks free after the eponymous program left Desjardins in the hands of Department H.

==Collected editions==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Title
!Material collected
!Published date
!ISBN
|-
|''Alpha Flight Classic Vol. 1''
|''Alpha Flight'' (vol. 1) #1-8
|April 2007
|{{ISBNT|978-0785127468}}
|-
|''Alpha Flight Classic Vol. 2''
|''Alpha Flight'' (vol. 1) #9-19, ''X-Men'' (vol. 1) #106
|October 2011
|{{ISBNT|978-0785131250}}
|-
|''Alpha Flight Classic Vol. 3''
|''Alpha Flight'' (vol. 1) #20-29, ''Incredible Hulk'' #313 and material from ''Secret Wars II'' #4
|November 2012
|{{ISBNT|978-0785162926}}
|-
|''X-Men/Alpha Flight''
|''X-Men and Alpha Flight'' #1-2, ''X-Men/Alpha Flight'' #1-2, ''X-Men'' (vol. 1) #109, 120-121, 139-140
|June 2011
|{{ISBNT|978-0785155133}}
|-
|''Alpha Flight by John Byrne Omnibus''
|''X-Men'' (vol. 1) #109, 120-121, 139-140, ''Incredible Hulk Annual'' #8, ''Machine Man'' #18, ''Marvel Two-In-One'' #83-84, ''Incredible Hulk'' #272, 313, ''Alpha Flight'' (vol. 1) #1-29, ''X-Men and Alpha Flight'' #1-2, ''X-Men/Alpha Flight'' #1-2, and material from ''Marvel Team-Up Annual'' #7
|February 2017
|{{ISBNT|978-1302904050}}
|-
|''Alpha Flight by Mantlo & Lee''
|''Alpha Flight'' (1983) #30-70, ''Annual'' #1-2; ''Avengers'' #272; ''Marvel Fanfare'' (1982) #28
|January 2026
|
|-
|''Alpha Flight Vol. 1: You Gotta Be Kiddin' Me''
|''Alpha Flight'' (vol. 3) #1-6
|December 2004
|{{ISBNT|978-0785114307}}
|-
|''Alpha Flight Vol. 2: Waxing Poetic''
|''Alpha Flight'' (vol. 3) #7-12
|April 2005
|{{ISBNT|978-0785115694}}
|-
|''Chaos War: X-Men''
|''Chaos War: Alpha Flight'' #1 and ''Chaos War: X-Men'' #1-2, ''Chaos War: Godsquad'' #1, ''Chaos War: Chaos King'' #1 and material from ''X-Men: Curse Of The Mutants Spotlight''
|June 2011
|{{ISBNT|978-0785153153}}
|-
|''Alpha Flight by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente''
|''Alpha Flight'' (vol. 4) #0.1, 1-8
|May 2012
|{{ISBNT|978-0785162834}}
|}

==In other media==
===Television===
Alpha Flight appears in the ''[[X-Men: The Animated Series|X-Men]]'' episode "Repo Men", consisting of [[Guardian (Marvel Comics)|Vindicator]], [[Puck (Marvel Comics)|Puck]], [[Snowbird (character)|Snowbird]], [[Shaman (comics)|Shaman]], [[Northstar (character)|Northstar]], [[Aurora (comics)|Aurora]], [[Sasquatch (comics)|Sasquatch]], and [[Vindicator (comics)|Heather Hudson]]. A [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]], 26-episode animated series was announced to be in the works from producer Bruce Raymond in 1984, but it did not materialize.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=1984-06-06 |title=''Alpha Flight'' pre-production advertisement |magazine=Variety |location=New York |volume=315 |issue=16 |page=1}}</ref>

===Video Games===
Alpha Flight is a playable team in ''[[Marvel Strike Force]]'', consisting of [[Sunfire (comics)|Sunfire]], [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]], [[Guardian (Marvel Comics)|Guardian]], [[Northstar (character)|Northstar]], and [[Sasquatch (comics)|Sasquatch]].

===Music===
* The band [[Courage My Love]] featured various issues of Alpha Flight in their YouTube video of their song "I Sell Comics".<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/nnGesOIWnSM Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20110730145737/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnGesOIWnSM&gl=US&hl=en&amp;has_verified=1 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnGesOIWnSM |title=Courage My Love- I Sell Comics |publisher=YouTube |date=2011-07-08 |access-date=2014-07-11}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* San Diego–based band [[Manual Scan]]'s 1997 album, "Plan of Action" includes a full page 1984 vintage photo of frontman [[Bart Mendoza]] reading Alpha Flight #6 <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2860308-Manual-Scan-Plan-Of-Action | title=Manual Scan - Plan of Action | website=[[Discogs]] | date=1997 }}</ref>
* Chicago-based band [[The Kickback (band)|The Kickback]] released a song called "Alpha Flight" on their ''Mea Culpa Mea Culpa'' EP
* Brampton-based Canadian band The Vulcan Dub Squad<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blogto.com/music/2013/02/brampton_band_that_couldnt_make_a_comeback_sort_of/|title=The Brampton Band That Couldn't Make a Comeback (Sort Of)|publisher=BlogTO |date=2013-02-10 |access-date=2021-06-08}}</ref> released a song called "Alpha Flight #12" on their 2005 album ''Just Watch Us''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thevulcands.bandcamp.com/track/alpha-flight-12|title=Alpha Flight #12 |publisher=BandCamp |date=2005-01-01 |access-date=2021-06-08}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Flight members]]
* [[Beta Flight]]
* [[Gamma Flight]]
* [[Omega Flight]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://www.marvel.com/teams-and-groups/alpha-flight Alpha Flight] at ''[[Marvel.com]]''
* [http://www.alphaflight.net/ AlphaFlight.net]
* [http://www.comicvine.com/alpha-flight/4060-14616/ Alpha Flight (Team)] at ''[[Comic Vine]]''
* {{comicbookdb|type=team|id=113|title=Alpha Flight}}

{{Flight Program}}
{{Wolverine}}
{{X-Men}}
{{Hulk}}
{{Avengers characters}}
{{Ultimate X-Men}}
{{John Byrne}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Alpha Flight| ]]
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[[Category:Canadian-themed superheroes]]
[[Category:Characters created by John Byrne (comics)]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1979]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics superhero teams]]
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