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Alpha Flight vs X-Men/Alpha Flight

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2016 7:30 pm
by JephYork
Right now, we have the first "X-Men & Alpha Flight" miniseries between Alpha Flight #21-22. I think it should actually go between #22-23.

For Aurora, #22 seems to flow directly from #20-21. Issue #21 ends with Aurora in a purple bathing suit, with Sasquatch. She's not in her "Jeanne-Marie" persona but Sasquatch notes that she's not quite acting like "Aurora" either -- he suspects some weird hybrid persona is emerging.

#22 picks up with Aurora flying to Northstar's house in her Jeanne-Marie persona, still in the purple bathing suit. She relates how Sasquatch kissed her, and she freaked out and flew away to Northstar's house. Later in #22 she reverts to "Aurora", and the last thing Aurora remembers are the events of issue #20.

Also, Northstar notes that he hasn't seen Aurora since M/TU@ #7 (which is placed circa Alpha Flight #13), and that he doesn't recognize her haircut (which she got in AF #20).

Meanwhile, X-Men & Alpha Flight features Aurora, in her "Aurora" persona, with her new haircut, interacting (coldly) with Northstar.

Since AF #20-22 seem to be an unbroken series of events for Aurora, and since Northstar shouldn't see Aurora or her haircut anywhere between M/TU@ #7 and AF #22, I think we need to move X&AF #1-2 to right after AF #22.

(It has to be before AF #23, though -- because Sasquatch dies in that issue. And he's present in the X&AF mini.)

Thoughts?

Re: Alpha Flight vs X-Men/Alpha Flight

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 2:54 pm
by DonCampbell
I totally agree with you that the X&AF mini fits best between Alpha Flight #22 & 23 but there are problems with that placement. In AF #22, Heather Hudson is walking on a Vancouver street in the rain when she catches a glimpse of someone she believes to be her late husband and the early pages of AF #23 contains a discussion between Walter Langkowski and Elizabeth Twoyoungmen about "what Heather said she saw the other night." This seems to imply that AF #23 takes place very soon after AF #22.

Also, none of the characters in AF #24 seem to remember what happened in the X&AF mini. For example, Shaman specifically mentions that Northstar does not know of his daughter Talisman, and the two characters do act as if they have never met before.

We can't really do anything about that continuity glitch in AF #24 but your contention that Aurora's storyline in AF #22 continues directly from AF #20-21 seems more significant than Elizabeth's "other night" reference in AF #23.

Re: Alpha Flight vs X-Men/Alpha Flight

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 5:36 pm
by JephYork
Thanks, Don. I saw that "other night" reference in #23 too, and it seems like we had the same thought about it: it's flexible. If #23 had claimed that #22 was "last night," I would have discussed it in my post for sure -- but I feel "the other night" is loose enough to allow the miniseries to occur between the two.

And yeah, there's not much we can do about Northstar meeting Talisman in X/AF, then not knowing about her in AF #24. Maybe he's just THAT self-centered. ;)

Re: Alpha Flight vs X-Men/Alpha Flight

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 12:10 am
by DonCampbell
I took another look at the relevant issues and, while it may be the only place where the X&AF mini can possibly fit, between AF #22 & 23 really is awkward. Consider the following sequence:

Alpha Flight #22: Heather and Elizabeth are in Vancouver, British Columbia when Heather briefly sees her deceased husband in the street. Walter is BTS but described as being "as close to cracking as anyone can get" about the still-missing Aurora. Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie are in Quebec and on the following day Aurora resumes control over her body after having been away since issue #20. The issue ends with Aurora being on unfriendly terms with her brother.

X-Men/Alpha Flight #1-2: Walter, Aurora, Heather and Puck have all travelled to Calgary, Alberta so that Shaman can check out Walter. Heather was with Michael the previous night. A dying Snowbird arrives only seconds before Rachel Summers attacks, then both Northstar and Talisman show up, the latter in response to her father's mystic SOS. Once the other X-Men arrive and calm the situation down, both groups join together and all sixteen of them head north to Ungava Bay.

Alpha Flight #23: Elizabeth, Puck, Walter, Aurora and Heather are all in Vancouver. Everyone is concerned about Heather because of what she said she saw "the other night" and Elizabeth wishes her father were there because resurrections are more up his alley. Then Snowbird shows up and kills Sasquatch/Tanaraq.

Alpha Flight #24: Snowbird, Puck, Aurora and Heather have taken Walter's crystallized body to the Eye of the World where, thanks to Talisman's summons/compulsion, Shaman and Northstar also show up. Elizabeth and Northstar seemingly meet each other for the first time, and Shaman even mentions that Northstar didn't even know of her.

So, after AF #22 Heather is supposed to be upset because of what she saw but she seems fine in X&AF #1-2? And Elizabeth wanted to ask for her father's help with Guardian's possible resurrection but somehow forgot to do so when they were all together in Calgary?

Re: Alpha Flight vs X-Men/Alpha Flight

Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:35 pm
by Frans
FWIW. In Alpha Flight #24 Heather says it has been three days since she saw Guardian on the street.