ALPHA FLIGHT #28-30 and HULK #313 (1985): Creative teams switch books

This is really, really cool.

Sasquatch’s body was destroyed by Snowbird when it was revealed to be the host of a huge mystical threat called Tanaraq, and since then Alpha Flight member Walter Langkowski’s “soul” has been housed in a giant suit of armor known as Box (formerly occupied by a man whose last name was Bochs).  But Walter really wants a body again, and when Alpha Flight’s search computer identifies a mindless host, he’s eager to jump in.

Turns out, though, that the body in question is actually Hulk, who is in the middle of his “I lost my mind” tour across the U.S., wherein he is beating the crap out of everyone while his split Banner/Hulk personality–the result of child abuse–fights an internal battle that plays out in real life.

Of course, Langkowski doesn’t end up staying in Hulk’s body, but the cool thing about this is that John Byrne left Alpha Flight with #28 to go write and draw Hulk, while Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola signed on as the new creative team for Alpha Flight.  So, the characters crossed over, one character almost became the main character of the other book, and in the end the creators crossed over. And we’re returned to status quo Hulk and status quo Alpha Flight.

Neat.

Banner and Walter finally talk, after lots of fighting, and Banner tells Walter to keep the Hulk body and let Banner die–so he would rather die than return to being a tortured beast.

Best of all, it’s a Secret Wars 2 crossover that seems to me doesn’t change anything as a result of Beyonder’s intervention. I mean, it looks to me like Mantlo planned the body-switch story out long before editorial told him to build in a Beyonder scene.

Also: The new Alpha Flight creative team designs a mansion for the team.

Here’s the backstory, from an interview with Byrne in Marvel Age.

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