| Alpha Flight | |
|---|---|
 Cover toAlpha Flight (vol. 1) #1 byJohn Byrne | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Schedule | Ongoing (vol. 1–3) Limited (vol. 4–5) |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Publication date | (Vol. 1) August1983 – March1994 (Vol. 2) August1997 – March1999 (Vol. 3) May2004 – April2005 (Vol. 4) July2011 – January2012 (Vol. 5) August2023 – present |
| No. of issues | (vol. 1) 130, 2 annuals (vol. 2) 20, 1 annual (vol. 3) 12 (vol. 4) 8 (vol. 5) 5 |
| Main character | Alpha Flight |
| Creative team | |
| Written by |
|
| Penciller(s) | (vol. 1) John Byrne (1–28) Michael Mignola (29–31) Jon Bogdanove (32) Sal Buscema (33–34) Dave Ross (35–44) June Brigman (45–50) Jim Lee (51–62) Hugh Haynes (65–68) John Calimee (69–71, 73-76, 78-82, 84-85) Gerry Talaoc (72) Huw Thomas (77) Jim Sherman (83) Mark Bagley (86) Michael Bair (87-91, 93-95, 97-100) Dan Reed (92) Michael Adams (96) Tom Morgan (101-105, 107-109) Mark Pacella (106) Craig Brasfield (113, 121) Pat Broderick (110-112, 114-120, 122-124) Jim Reddington (125) Dario Carrasco Jr (126-130) (vol. 2) Scott Clark (vol. 3) Clayton Henry (vol. 4) Dale Eaglesham (vol. 5) Scott Godlewski |
| Inker(s) | (vol. 1) John Byrne (1–14) Bob Wiacek (15–28) Gerry Talaoc (29–38) Whilce Portacio (39–54) Al Milgrom (58–65) (vol. 2) Chris Carlson (vol. 3) Mark Morales (vol. 4) Andrew Hennessy |
| Letterer(s) | (vol. 1) Joe Rosen Jim Novak Ken Bruzenak (vol. 2) Albert Deschesne Richard Starkings (vol. 3) Richard Starkings |
| Colorist(s) | (vol. 1) Andy Yanchus Bob Sharen Glynis Oliver (vol. 2) Lee Ann Garner (vol. 3) Avalon Studios (vol. 5) Matt Milla |
| Editor(s) | (vol. 1) Denny O'Neil Carl Potts (vol. 2) Jaye Gardner (vol. 3) Mike Marts Stephanie Moore Cory Sedlmeier |
| Collected editions | |
| Alpha Flight Classic Volume 1 (vol. 1 #1–8) | ISBN 0-7851-2746-1 |
| Alpha Flight Classic Volume 2 (vol. 1 #9–16) | ISBN 0-7851-3125-6 |
| Alpha Flight Volume 1 (vol. 3 #1–6) | ISBN 0-7851-1430-0 |
| Alpha Flight Volume 2 (vol. 3 #7–12) | ISBN 0-7851-1569-2 |
| Omega Flight: Alpha to Omega (Omega Flight #1–5) | ISBN 0-7851-2441-1 |
| Alpha Flight by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente Volume 1 (vol. 4 #0.1, 1–4) | ISBN 0-7851-6282-8 |
Alpha Flight is the name of severalcomic book titles featuring the teamAlpha Flight and published byMarvel Comics, beginning with the originalAlpha Flight comic book series from1983 to1994.
Created byJohn Byrne, the team first appeared inX-Men #120 (April1979). The team was originally merely a part of the backstory of theX-Men'sWolverine but, in1983, Marvel launched an eponymous series featuring the group, which continued until 1994, lasting 130 issues as well as annuals and miniseries. Three short-lived revivals have been attempted since, most recently an eight-issue limited series in2011–12, after the resurrection of the team in the one shot comicChaos War: Alpha Flight during theChaos War event.
Though reluctant to take the job,[1] John Byrne wrote and drew the series for 28 issues before handing it off to another creative team. During that time, the series' storylines generally dealt with the personal problems of one or two characters at a time, seldom bringing all the members together or confronting problems outside the team itself. This approach drew some criticism.[2]
Byrne left, trading titles with then-Incredible Hulk scribeBill Mantlo, who stepped in to become the series's longest-running writer. Later writers onAlpha Flight includeJames Hudnall,Fabian Nicieza,Scott Lobdell, andSimon Furman. Byrne's successor as penciler wasMike Mignola, and subsequently Dave Ross, another Canadian, though he claims that his nationality was not a factor in his being chosen for the series, and that Marvel even sent him a box full of Canadian reference material after he was given the assignment.[2]
InAlpha Flight #106 (1992), writerScott Lobdell was given permission to have the characterNorthstar state, "I am gay."[3][4][5] As the first major, openly gay character created by Marvel Comics, Northstar generated significant publicity in the mainstream press[6] andAlpha Flight #106 sold out in a week, despite the fact that the series was not a very popular title.[4] It is the only comic book issue to have been inducted into theGaylactic Hall of Fame.[7] The event was also controversial,[8] and almost no mention was made of his sexual orientation for the remainder of the firstAlpha Flight series.
The issue ofAlpha Flight in which Northstar came out was hugely popular and theNew York Magazine reported that a store inBleecker Street inNew York City resorted to making customers who wanted to buy a copy of it to buy a second comic. This was criticized but outside the law. Later they made a policy that everyone who bought a copy had to buy an issue of the seriesThe Punisher War Zone as well. The store claimed they did this to prevent hoarding of the comic. The policy was in effect for thirty minutes till the store was all sold out. In the end they received only one complaint.[9]
Alpha Flight continued for 130 issues, and introduced dozens of characters and villains. The series ended in 1994.
In 1997, Marvel relaunched the series with different characters. The series was written bySteven Seagle, then known mainly for his work forDC Comics'Vertigo line, with art mostly by Scott Clark andDuncan Rouleau. One issue, #13, featured guest art byAshley Wood in an unusually conventional style for him, but still very distinctive for aMarvelsuperhero comic. This series ended in 1999 after only twenty issues and anannual.
The focus of this series was on Department H's consistently hidden agenda and Alpha Flight's reluctance to comply thereto.
Despite initial positive buzz, the series never took off and the conspiracy plotlines were downplayed for the remaining six issues of the series. The series ended with issue #20 with most of the major storylines unresolved.
In 2004, Marvel started a new volume of Alpha Flight, with the "All-New, All-Different" prefix.
The first six-issue story arc, which shows Sasquatch attempting to construct the new team, is called "You Gotta Be Kiddin' Me".
The second six-issue story arc, entitled "Waxing Poetic", saw the return of some original team members as both the original versions visited in the past, and temporal copies brought to the present.
The series was canceled with issue #12.
In 2011, the team appeared in a series tied to the crossover storylineFear Itself,[10] with the newly alive team to be joined by Puck.[11]
In June 2019, Marvel Comics announced that Alpha Flight would return in a one-shot titledAlpha Flight: True North featuring the original lineup (with the exception ofAurora) and written by Canadian writersJim Zub, Jed MacKay and Ed Brisson to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the company.[12]
In August 2023, the team returned in a five-issuelimited series written byEd Brisson and drawn byScott Godlewski, as part of the "Fall of X" relaunch. The lineup includes most of the original team, as well as new additionFang andHeather Hudson inheriting theNemesis mantle.[13]
Their appearances have been collected into a number oftrade paperbacks:
