Alpha Flight, a Canadian super team with a deep history with the X-Men, is making a return that might bring them into conflict with Marvel’s Merry Mutants. The X-Men just concluded its first crossover in the post-Krakoa world, with the opposing sides of the conflict attempting to pick up the pieces. For Cyclops’ X-Men that includes a visit from his father, Corsair, leader of the Starjammers. Unfortunately for the X-Men, Corsair’s reunion with Cyclops also involved alien mercenaries. But what the X-Men don’t realize is these aliens have caught the attention of Alpha Flight, who is looking to investigate whether the X-Men want their help or not.
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ComicBook has the exclusive preview of X-Men #12 by Jed MacKay, Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons, Livesay, Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, and VC’s Clayton Cowles. It flashes back to the events in the Fall of X, where Alpha Flight sided with the X-Men and were arrested by Department H. Agent Arsenault is giving a debriefing to a shadowed individual regarding Alpha Flight, where we find out what’s been happening to each team member behind bars.
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Agent Arsenault states that when Alpha Flight was imprisoned, it left Canada without a superhero response team. Alpha Flight are heroes to the core, meaning they want to do good. This is something Department H can take advantage of for its own uses. Alpha Flight consists of James MacDonald Hudson, aka Guardian; Eugene Judd, aka Puck; Narya aka Snowbird; Marrina Smallwood aka Marrina; and Michael Twoyoungmen aka Shaman.
Agent Arsenault provides character breakdowns for each hero, but before the exclusive preview concludes, we learn that she’s the new leader and handler of Alpha Flight under the moniker Vindicator. She flies into action with Alpha Flight barking out orders, and a meeting with the X-Men is inevitable.
Fans last saw Alpha Flight during the Fall of X limited series by writer Ed Brisson (Predator, New Mutants) and artist Scott Godlewski (Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes). It featured two different Alpha Flight teams with conflicting agendas, yet still starring some of your favorite Alpha Flight members like Guardian, Puck, Snowbird, and Shaman.
On the horizon for the X-Men line is “X-Manhunt,” an eight-part crossover debuting in March. Unlike the “Raid on Graymalkin” crossover that took place between X-Men and Uncanny X-Men, “X-Manhunt” will also include the other ongoing X-titles NYX, Storm, X-Factor, and an Exceptional X-Men tie-in, concluding in the X-Manhunt Omega double-sized one-shot.
The description of X-Men #12 reads, “As a horde of the galaxy’s most fearsome killers descend upon the X-Men, help comes from an unexpected direction: across the border! ALPHA FLIGHT fly into action again – though at what price? And can even Canada’s hardiest heroes turn the tide?”
X-Men #12 goes on sale Wednesday, February 26th. Are you excited for the return of Alpha Flight? If so, drop us a line down in the comments below!
