Alpha Flight (3rd series) #11

Issue Date: 
March 2005
Story Title: 
Days Of Future Present, Past Participle - part 3
Staff: 

Scott Lobdell (Writer), Clayton Henry (Penciler), Mark Morales (Inker), Digital Rainbow (Colorist), Rich & Albert @ Comicraft (Letterers) Stephanie Moore & Sean Ryan (Assistant Editors), Mike Marts (Editor), Joe Quesada (Editor-in-Chief), Dan Buckley (Publisher), Irving Forbush (President)

Brief Description: 

After learning that in their last attempt to change the past caused Alpha Flight to become the USA’s greatest heroes, but resulted in the nuclear bombing of Canada, Nemesis sends Zuzha and Yukon Jack into the past, where in the Weigh-Station, Zuzha discovers that she may actually like Yukon Jack. In the past, Yukon Jack fights Omega Flight, Zuzha finds Guardian and informs Hudson, who is becoming rather fed-up with all the different future members of Alpha Flight coming back from the future to tell him something different each time, that he needs to return to Canada after defeating Jaxon and not stay in the States. The original Alpha Flight arrive at their due time to find Yukon Jack standing over Omega Flight, while Zuzha finds Major Mapleleaf and Centennial, and they wonder why they haven’t returned to their real time. The reason why is revealed when, back in the past, Nemesis, who was standing by the body of her former love, Centennial, and Mar discover that the past has been altered, when soldiers of the Canadian Militia for a Super-Hero-Free Canada arrive at their headquarters and order them to surrender.

Full Summary: 

Once upon a time, they were Canada’s greatest heroes. But that was before they tried to change the course of history in an effort to save a former villain as well as rescue their founder from certain death! Now? All bets are off! The only thing we can say for certain is…they are…the All-New, All-Different Alpha Flight!

Upon his arrival in New York City, the Canadian super hero known as Guardian made it a point to confront the megalomaniac madman and manufacturing maven named Jerry Jaxon, who also disguised himself as Box. All Guardian would say about his victory over Jaxon and the forces of Roxxon was ‘forewarned is forearmed’. As with Jim Carey or Michael J. Fox, it did not take long for America to once again express its love for all things Canadian, and Guardian soon convinced his country men to join him in the States, it was there that Alpha Flight finally routed itself into the hearts and minds of the Great 51.

Not long after that, Guardian, Snowbird, Northstar, Aurora, Sasquatch, Shaman and Puck became as popular as such born-in-the-USA natives as Captain America, Iron Man and Speedball, and were celebrated in massive parades. But not that it was all love and flower grams from their adoring public, Alpha North America (as the team came to be known, as a nod to the continent both countries shared) certainly pulled their weight, confronting such threats as Magneto, Dr. Doom and Angar the Screamer.

No one argues that the Canadian heroes’ presence was all that allowed for the defeat of the Universe-altering power of the being called Onslaught, and one can only imagine the fate of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes had not Alpha North America been onon hand to turn the tide of the battle. The only downside is that the Alphans weren’t on hand to battle a threat to their homeland…when a hundred thousand unaccounted for Plodex eggs were hatched! Overnight, this alien menace laid waste to the entire Great North - its people utterly defenseless without Alpha Flight on hand to protect them.

And so, the world authority took the only action available, they had no other choice but to…nuke Canada. And not just once. As often as it took to save the rest of the world, one country died, that a world might live. If only Guardian had returned from the United States after his victory over Jaxon…how differently things would have turned out.

(Present)

Nemesis, Alpha Flight’s deadly goddess of vengeance switches off the computer screen that just detailed to her and her remaining teammates what happened to the world since their last foray back in the past. Nemesis declares that this is no time for recriminations and reminds the handsome Yukon Jack a.k.a. Yukotujakzurjimozoata and Zuzha “Puck” Yu that they opted to wrestle with destiny by engaging with time travel, and now they are forced to pay the price for science gone awry. Motioning to Doctor Walter “Sasquatch” Langkowski, who is preoccupied with scientific equations on his whiteboard, Nemesis points out that they are not going to get much help from him, before stating that, as incredible and undesirable as it sounds, ‘The fate of the world as we know it rests on the shoulders of a frightened barmaid and an arrogant royal’.

Zuzha tells Nemesis that if she is trying to inspire her, that it is not working, but Nemesis informs Zuzha that she is telling her that she must return to the past and convince Guardian that he needs to return to Canada after his victory over Jaxon. ‘I hateth this team’ remarks Yukon Jack as he is struck by Nemesis’ deadly sword. Nemesis agrees, before turning her attention to Zuzha, who profusely asking Nemesis to wait, and suggests that they contact the Fantastic Four and borrow their time machine. She declares that they may have been going about this all wrong, as the Fantastic Four do have more experience with this sort of thing. She adds that that there has to be a better way than killing her and sending her back in time through the sword. ‘Eh?’. ‘Nope’ declares Nemesis before shoving her sword into Zuzha.

(In the Weigh-station, between life and death)

‘Stab my eyes!’ shouts Nemesis as she stumbles upon Yukon Jack and Zuzha kissing on a beach. Yukon Jack asks Nemesis if she doesn’t have any sense of privacy, but Nemesis reminds him that she is this place, as it is her, even if she wishes otherwise. Nemesis declares that all secrets are revealed here, and in this case she now sees that Yukon Jack has an all-encompassing need to be loved, which she suggests is no doubt to compensate for a lifetime of rejection by his people.

Zuzha declares that she feels so cheap, and that she has the hots for Mapleleaf - doesn’t she? ‘That we should only live long enough to find out’ remarks Nemesis.

(In the past)

‘Hark! Thou art the renegade ne’er-do-wells known as Omega Flight, be ye not?’ exclaims Yukon Jack as he and Zuzha enter a room where several super beings are standing. ‘Ixnay on the erdowellsne’ay’ whispers Zuzha. Alec Thorn a.k.a. Smart Alec tells his fellow Omegans that this is what he was talking about - they were relegated to Beta and Gamma flights while Guardian was out recruiting new members for Alpha Flight without telling anyone. Wildchild exclaims that it doesn’t matter who they are, that he is itching for a throw down! Flashback sits up from his chess game, declaring that chess against your future self is not fun when you already know how it is going to end! Yukon Jack pushes Zuzha out of the room, informing her that this is no place for the wife of Yukotujakzurjimozoata and tells her to attend to the plight of Doctor Hudson. ‘Have at thee, base scoundrels!’ Yukon Jack exclaims as he leaps towards Omega Flight.

The new Puck darts through various room, searching for Guardian, when she suddenly stumbles into a room where a certain red-head - Heather McNeil Hudson is tied up. ‘Oh sorry!’ exclaims Zuzha, but as Heather cries ‘Wait!’ Zuzha slams the door closed. Suddenly, Guardian comes up behind Zuzha, ‘Hello young lady, I’m looking for a seven-foot-tall blue and silver robot’. Zuzha is relieved to see Hudson, and rattles of a huge speech about how he probably is not going to believe her, but that she is from the future and is here to tell him that after he defeats Jaxon he has to return to Canada, or else the rest of Alpha Flight is going to make their way here to the USA and become hugely popular super heroes and so they won’t be on hand to stop an infestation of newly found Plodex eggs which is why the rest of the world has to nuke Canada so the alien’s don’t take over the planet.

‘Oh’. replies Hudson, before asking Zuzha, just to be clear, if she is from the same future where Louis Sadler Jr. told him not to go to New York all so that he is not murdered by his own faulty power pack - only to be told moments later by Rutherford Princeton that he does need to come to the States and defeat Jaxon before he becomes so powerful that he makes his way back to Canada with an army of Box warriors? Hudson tells Zuzha that it is not as if he doesn’t appreciate the effort, but he really thinks they should have spent a little more time figuring this thing out before they started down the slippery slope of chronal manipulation.

Meanwhile, Yukon Jack stands over the defeated bodies of Diamond Lil and the other members of Omega Flight, when suddenly ‘So, what’s this all about, eh?’ asks Eugene “Puck” Judd as he and the original Alphans - Snowbird, Sasquatch, Northstar, Aurora and Shaman enter the room. ‘It…is not as it appears’ replies Yukon Jack as he wipes the blood from his knife.

Elsewhere, Zuzha begins searching for Yukon Jack now, when suddenly, someone grabs her arm and declares ‘Hold it right there, young lady!’ Zuzha spins around and is relieved to see Major Mapleleaf and Centennial. She hugs Mapleleaf before the handsome hero informs Zuzha that when they did not disappear after Hudson left for the States, he and Mr. Princeton thought it best if they tailed him. ‘In Mountie school I excelled at tailing!’ Zuzha tells Lou that he should be happy to know that she and Yukon Jack just came back and while he has been dealing with Omega Flight, she has set Dr. Hudson back on the right track, so that everything should be perfect now. ‘A gold star for you then!’ smiles Lou. But Rutherford strokes his chin, and wonders why they are still here, if everything has been set correct.

(Present)

Back in Langkowski’s lab, the young Plodex known as Mar tries to get the handsome scientists attention, but Walt is too transfixed with his work. Puzzled, Mar finds Nemesis standing against the table on which lays the body of Centennial, her one true and former love. ‘Oh Rutherford’ she whispers as she holds him. Mar watches, but Nemesis cannot find the words she has to say. Suddenly, Mar notices that the acid rain has stopped pouring down outside, and alerts Nemesis to the development.

Nemesis takes Mar’s hand as they walk out of their headquarters and into the snow, Mar smiles, ‘So it would seem!’ exclaims Nemesis. Suddenly, a voice says ‘Step down, woman’ and Nemesis turns to see an army of men before her, the commander declaring that by the authority of the Canadian Militia for a Super-Hero-Free Country, she is ordered to surrender immediately, to drop her weapon and be spared a slow and painful death. ‘Too late on that count, gentlemen!’ exclaims Nemesis as she rushes head-first into the army of men, ready for battle.

Elsewhere, the Watcher looks puzzled, shrugs his shoulders and declares ‘You’re on your own, people!’

Characters Involved: 

Centennial, Major Mapleleaf II, Nemesis III, Puck II, Sasquatch, Yukon Jack (All-New, All-Different Alpha Flight)

Mar (Plodex child)

The Watcher

Soldiers from the Canadian Militia for a Super-Hero-Free Country

On Recording of what happened once the Time Stream diverged

Aurora, Guardian, Northstar, Puck, Sasquatch, Shaman, Snowbird (all Alpha Flight)

Jerry Jaxon as Box

Magneto

Onslaught

Plodex

American citizens

In Weigh Station (Between Life and Death)

Nemesis III, Puck II, Yukon Jack (All-New, All-Different Alpha Flight)

In The Past

Aurora, Guardian, Northstar, Puck, Sasquatch, Shaman, Snowbird (all Alpha Flight)

Heather McNeil Hudson

Box II, Diamond Lil, Flashback, Smart Alec, Wildchild (all Omega Flight)

Story Notes: 

Smart Alec’s comment about being relegated to Beta and Gamma Flights is not correct, as in the original Department H, one had to work their way up through the Gamma then Beta Flight before becoming part of Alpha Flight. The only originals who may not have had to are Snowbird (who was part of the Flight), Sasquatch and Shaman (who were both associated with Department H) and of course Guardian.

Wildchild’s real name is incorrectly spelt Kyle Dibney, when it is actually Gibney.

The seven-foot-tall blue and silver robot that Guardian is searching for is of course Delphine Courtney.

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