Alpha Flight #97-101 (1991): Vindicator dies (again)

It’s time for a big #100 celebration, so we break out the cosmic character “Her,” from the old Warlock books.  This is a book that’s never been cosmic before.  Why now?

It’s really not worth getting into.  I understand that Canadians want to have a place in the Marvel Universe, but this book has become a steaming pile of crap that is beyond irredeemable.

Her is running away from alien hunters called The Consortium.  I really hope that’s just a bad translation from an alien tongue, because why are sophisticated space warriors named after bad 1970s dramas?

She lands in Canada and Alpha Flight immediately decide to help Her.

Also the Avengers and Frankie Raye join in.  Hercules looks ready to do a pose-off.

And in parallel we learn that the aliens who saved James Hudson from certain death (and caused the horrible retconning of Alpha Flight #12, which was a terrific comic), did it so that he could save their planet from Galactus.

Really? They wanted Alpha Flight, a team that had never gone to space, instead of the Fantastic Four, who had defeated Galactus a half-dozen times?

The art and script continue to be terrible.

Anyway, it’s a “big” story with a “big” ending that Mr. Vindicator dies (again—after having just been revived) leaving Ms. Vindicator a widow for the second time.

Issue #101 is the epilogue, and everyone is sad about Mac dying. Except Wolverine isn’t at the grave. Weird.

There’s also some odd business with Dr. Strange.  Bleh.

Creators: Fabian Nicieza and Michael Bair, and then nobody takes credit for issue #100.  Seriously.  No credits at all.  Then on #101, Tom Morgan takes over the art.
Grade: D

For the complete history of the MU, year by year, go here.
And see my Ratings of Runs on comics here.

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