Marvel: Crisis Protocol – Bring On Alpha Flight
This one’s for our Canadian friends. Marvel: Crisis Protocol needs to add Alpha Flight to the tabletop sooner rather than later!
Maybe it’s the change in the weather or the maple syrup I had with my pancakes but for some reason I’ve got Alpha Flight on the brain. This Canadian-based super hero team has a long history in Marvel Comics and I think it’s time we got them in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. I mean, they do have crisis’s in Canada, eh?
Alpha Flight In The Comics
The team, again, is a Canadian-based team of super powered individuals. They debuted in The Uncanny X-Men #120. They were introduced as the team sent to bring Wolverine back into the fold.
Yes, as with most things in Marvel based in Canada, this team does have ties with Wolverine. Hey, Canada is a small place. It’s only 3.855 million mi² (or 9,984,670 km2 for our Canadian friends). with a population of just over 40 million. And apparently they all hang out with Wolverine. Duh.
Anyhow, the team originally consisted of six members — not counting Weapon X.
Guardian/Weapon Alpha/Vidicator – James Hudson
He is a scientist who wears a special suit of Canadian-themed battle armor that can manipulate the Earth’s magnetic field. It also grants him flight, a personal force field, and a few other abilities. And yes, he’s had a few different names over the years but he’s the team’s leader.
Northstar – Jean-Paul Beaubier
Northstar is a mutant with super-speed and photokinesis, aka light generation. He can also fly and is apparently an expert skier. Fun fact: Northstar was the first openly gay character in Marvel Comics – all the way back in 1992. It was kind of a big deal at the time.
Aurora – Jeanne-Marie Beaubier
Aurora is the twin sister of Northstar who’s also a mutant. She does suffer from dissociative identity disorder (multiple personalities) but that’s not her super power. She’s got a similar powerset to Northstar with super-speed, flight, photokinesis, and “molecular acceleration.” She doesn’t appear to have expert skier in her powerset, however.
Jokes aside, I think having these twins on the team would be a nice addition. I could see AMG making them on single base, kind of like the Wrecking Crew. There powers are super close so it might be kind of odd to have two characters that basically did the same thing on the team.
Sasquatch – Walter Longowski
Originally deriving his powers from a Hulk-like Gamma Radiation experiment, Walter Longowski can transform in the orange hairy beast that is Sasquatch. Personally, I’ve always had a fascination with this character. Maybe it’s because I watched Harry and the Hendersons at a young age and have had a soft spot for Big Foots (Big Feets?) ever since.
Regardless, Sasquatch is definitely the muscle for the team. And I’m totally cool with having more big brutes in MCP.
Shaman – Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen
Shaman is both a medical doctor and sorcerer. He’s a First Nations medicine man and honestly, gives me strong Doctor Strange vibes. Shaman’s also gotten a few power-ups over the years. He’s got a Medicine Bag that he can basically pull anything out of…no seriously. It’s a gateway to a pocket dimension. Additionally, later he gains the powers of the Coronet of Enchantment and gains the powers of Talisman.
Really, depending on when Atomic Mass Games want to pull him from in his story, he could be a potent mystic powerhouse for the team.
Snowbird – Narya
Narya is actually an Inuit demi-goddess who can transform into animals. She can fly, has pre-cognitive powers, healing, and “divine wisdom” powers as well. I really think she’d be a good all arounder for the team.
Other Alpha Flight Members
Now, if we’re going to make this team into an entire Affiliation there’s a few more characters that need to come to play.
Puck – Eugene Judd
Puck is one of those characters that I can’t believe got approved. But here we are! There were actually TWO versions of Puck as well. Eugene Judd is the one I’m referring to here. He’s a dwarf — as in the achondroplasty and not the fantasy fiction kind. However, this was later retconned and his powers, which include amazing fighting and acrobatic skills, to be mystical in nature.
But really, I just remember him as the little guy who was literally bouncing off things like a hocky puck in the old X-Men animated show.
Marriana
Marriana, showed up a bit later in the Alpha Flight’s history. But her own history is a bit more complex. She started out in Beta Flight and was promoted into Alpha Flight. She’s actually an alien and is a member of the Plodex species. She’s got the powers of Underwater Breathing, limited water control, and can transform. Oh and she’s got super speed while swimming, too.
Later on in her career she actually marries Namor. They get pregnant and her Plodex DNA reacts to turn her into a monster named Leviathan. Namor has to kill her with the Black Knight’s Ebony Blade. Eventually she’s resurrected (Because Comics!) and rejoins Alpha Flight.
I think that about covers Alpha Flight’s first run/team. Later in their history there’s also the relaunch team for Volume 2 that includes: Flex, Manbot, Murmur, Radius, and General Clarke. Sunfire also joined for a bit. Alpha Flight Volume 3 was a new team setup by Sasquatch that included Centennial, Major Mapleleaf, Nemesis, Puck II, and Yukon Jack. Oh and then there’s Omega Flight…but that’s technically a different team and I’ll probably cover them at a later date.
Who would you want to play first from Alpha Flight in Marvel: Crisis Protocol?
