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Post by rberman on Jun 6, 2019 12:51:30 GMT -5
I liked the variety of their secret identities. The only one that never made sense was Snowbird. First, an Inuit goddess even having a secret identity is bizarre. Second, "RCMP Records Officer"? That sounds like a desk job that would drive her nuts the first day. And would require months or years of training to do properly. Surely she would have a job that lets her keep odd hours and doesn't tie her to productivity benchmarks. She'd be a nature-oriented field agent of some sort, maybe taking core samples from the tundra to study climate or geology or botany or something.
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Post by badwolf on Jun 6, 2019 13:00:23 GMT -5
I liked the variety of their secret identities. The only one that never made sense was Snowbird. First, an Inuit goddess even having a secret identity is bizarre. Second, "RCMP Records Officer"? That sounds like a desk job that would drive her nuts the first day. And would require months or years of training to do properly. Surely she would have a job that lets her keep odd hours and doesn't tie her to productivity benchmarks. She'd be a nature-oriented field agent of some sort, maybe taking core samples from the tundra to study climate or geology or botany or something. Yeah, it does seem odd. I think Byrne pretty much got rid of that persona after her battle with Kolomaq, and her partner finding out who she really was. At least, I don't remember it ever coming up again in his run.
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Post by rberman on Jun 6, 2019 13:03:29 GMT -5
Snowbird should have lived in a cave and spent her time communing with polar bears. Then she falls in love with a sturdy lumberjack. Or better yet, an Inuit social crusader, seeking justice for his people.
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Post by badwolf on Jun 6, 2019 13:06:22 GMT -5
Snowbird should have lived in a cave and spent her time communing with polar bears. Then she falls in love with a sturdy lumberjack. Or better yet, an Inuit social crusader, seeking justice for his people. Bill Mantlo is that you?
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Post by rberman on Jun 6, 2019 13:18:54 GMT -5
Snowbird should have lived in a cave and spent her time communing with polar bears. Then she falls in love with a sturdy lumberjack. Or better yet, an Inuit social crusader, seeking justice for his people. Bill Mantlo is that you? Shhhh don't blow my cover...
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jun 6, 2019 18:15:12 GMT -5
That’s when we learned Logan!s name? Wow! I would have bet good money it was in issue 139, too! Jeanne-Marie (named spelled correctly here, something that didn’t happen frequently in the early years; Marvel often called her “Jean-Marie”, which is actually a man’s name) comes from LaValle, which is either a misspelling of Laval or of LaSalle, both in the greater Montreal region. So we have one Alphan from Ottawa, two in Montreal, two in Alberta and one in the Northwest territories. I can already hear members of parliament insisting on getting Captain New Brunswick, Iron Manitoba and a member of the Nova (Scotia) corps on the team!
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Post by codystarbuck on Jun 6, 2019 23:21:52 GMT -5
That’s when we learned Logan!s name? Wow! I would have bet good money it was in issue 139, too! Jeanne-Marie (named spelled correctly here, something that didn’t happen frequently in the early years; Marvel often called her “Jean-Marie”, which is actually a man’s name) comes from LaValle, which is either a misspelling of Laval or of LaSalle, both in the greater Montreal region. So we have one Alphan from Ottawa, two in Montreal, two in Alberta and one in the Northwest territories. I can already hear members of parliament insisting on getting Captain New Brunswick, Iron Manitoba and a member of the Nova (Scotia) corps on the team! Should have just called on the Hart Family to sort them out, though Diana and Owen would have still been kind of young. or the Vachons: Mad Dog, Butcher, Viviene and Luna So, does that mean Snowbird is related to Bob & Doug? Good deal, eh?
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jun 7, 2019 4:37:35 GMT -5
Mad Dog Vachon kind of looks like Puck!
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Post by String on Jun 7, 2019 10:49:10 GMT -5
I really loved the Vindicator. Once he died , it became poorer for it. And they were trying to build up Puck as another superstar like Wolverine. They failed. #12 remains one of the best character death issues that I've ever read. It was shocking, last second and the circumstances surrounding it (especially Heather's appearance) made it even more of a gut punch. I liked the follow-up with Heather growing to take over his role with the accompanying guilt and emotional drama that ensued. One of the best things about AF is the different setting of Canada. Byrne's depictions and descriptions were very welcome and informative for me who has only the most basic loose knowledge of our northern neighbor. Northstar was one of those rare mutants at the time who used their abilities to enhance his life and dominate his chosen profession of skier, quite a different take over Claremont's usual 'mutants are to be hated and hunted' stance. The emotional drama of Aurora's personality disorder and how it affected her relationship with Walter was so different at the time too. I never could quite get into Snowbird though, maybe it's my unfamiliarity with Inuit lore but I always liked her alongside Shaman. I never understood Puck. It's an interesting character design but what is it again, he's channeling or holding some mystical force that caused him to become a dwarf or something like that? His evolving backstory kept confusing me.
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Post by rberman on Jun 7, 2019 11:38:28 GMT -5
Could we save the discussion of Puck and the issue #12 death until those elements are in the mix? Right now Alpha Flight are fighting the X-Men in a shopping mall...
I liked the depiction of Banshee as a generation older even than the adult mutants. There ought to be heroes of all ages. Shaman should be at least ten years older than than the Beaubier twins.
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Post by badwolf on Jun 7, 2019 12:51:38 GMT -5
I never understood Puck. It's an interesting character design but what is it again, he's channeling or holding some mystical force that caused him to become a dwarf or something like that? His evolving backstory kept confusing me. Byrne just intended for him to be a short guy (I don't know the technical name for his condition). The mystic stuff was added after he left.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jun 7, 2019 19:47:26 GMT -5
I really loved the Vindicator. Once he died , it became poorer for it. And they were trying to build up Puck as another superstar like Wolverine. They failed. #12 remains one of the best character death issues that I've ever read. It was shocking, last second and the circumstances surrounding it (especially Heather's appearance) made it even more of a gut punch. I liked the follow-up with Heather growing to take over his role with the accompanying guilt and emotional drama that ensued. One of the best things about AF is the different setting of Canada. Byrne's depictions and descriptions were very welcome and informative for me who has only the most basic loose knowledge of our northern neighbor. Northstar was one of those rare mutants at the time who used their abilities to enhance his life and dominate his chosen profession of skier, quite a different take over Claremont's usual 'mutants are to be hated and hunted' stance. The emotional drama of Aurora's personality disorder and how it affected her relationship with Walter was so different at the time too. I never could quite get into Snowbird though, maybe it's my unfamiliarity with Inuit lore but I always liked her alongside Shaman. I never understood Puck. It's an interesting character design but what is it again, he's channeling or holding some mystical force that caused him to become a dwarf or something like that? His evolving backstory kept confusing me. Yeah, that’s the kind of insane revelation that makes me throw out a comic in disgust. Puck was introduced as a tough guy whose short size made him easy to underestimate, but who was an accomplished gymnast and a really strong dude. He also had a past as some kind of mysterious mercenary, one who had met Wolverine in Paramaribo. A diminutive Corto Maltese. Puck, as a tough and dangerous guy who happened to also be a dwarf, worked far better for me than an old guy of regular size artificially made younger and smaller so his body could contain the essence of a demon. Just writing that last bit makes me want to retch, actually! What an utter, utter waste of a cool new character. Sometimes, an editor should just say “no”.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jun 7, 2019 19:50:48 GMT -5
An aspect lf Alpha Flight I really enjoyed when they fought the X-Men is something Cyclops himself pointed out: they fought as a team, each member collaborating with the others. That showed that this new team had trained together to function as a unit, and was not just an assembly of “Canada’s mightiest heroes” or whatever.
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Post by Cei-U! on Jun 7, 2019 20:39:42 GMT -5
#12 remains one of the best character death issues that I've ever read. It was shocking, last second and the circumstances surrounding it (especially Heather's appearance) made it even more of a gut punch. I liked the follow-up with Heather growing to take over his role with the accompanying guilt and emotional drama that ensued. One of the best things about AF is the different setting of Canada. Byrne's depictions and descriptions were very welcome and informative for me who has only the most basic loose knowledge of our northern neighbor. Northstar was one of those rare mutants at the time who used their abilities to enhance his life and dominate his chosen profession of skier, quite a different take over Claremont's usual 'mutants are to be hated and hunted' stance. The emotional drama of Aurora's personality disorder and how it affected her relationship with Walter was so different at the time too. I never could quite get into Snowbird though, maybe it's my unfamiliarity with Inuit lore but I always liked her alongside Shaman. I never understood Puck. It's an interesting character design but what is it again, he's channeling or holding some mystical force that caused him to become a dwarf or something like that? His evolving backstory kept confusing me. Yeah, that’s the kind of insane revelation that makes me throw out a cosmic in disgust. Puck was introduced as a tough guy whose short size made him easy to underestimate, but who was an accomplished gymnast and a really strong dude. He also had a past as some kind of mysterious mercenary, one who had met Wolverine in Paramaribo. A diminutive Corto Maltese. Puck, as a tough and dangerous guy who happened to also be a dwarf, worked far better for me than an old guy of regular size artificially made younger and smaller so his body could contain the essence of a demon. Just writing that last bit makes me want to retch, actually! What an utter, utter waste of a cool new character. Sometimes, an editor should just say “no”. Exactly what I was referring to when I spoke of Mantlo ruining the character for me.
Cei-U! I summon the like minds!
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Post by beccabear67 on Jun 7, 2019 22:07:40 GMT -5
I wonder how that two part X-Men story went over with Calgary locals? What we see is of the Stampede grounds, airport, Calgary tower, and shopping mall, and there may be nuances and background people lost on me. Is this also the first appearance of Pierre Trudeau in the Marvel universe? OT: This is also where Misty Knight fails to tell Cyclops or anyone else that Phoenix and The Beast are alive. They don't find this out until #125.
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