Alpha Flight

Team Name
Alpha Flight 

Base of Operations

Department H, Ontario, Canada; formerly Tamarind Island, British Columbia, Canada; Mansion Alpha, Winnipeg, Canada 

Current Members 
Aurora, Guardian (James Hudson), Marrina, Northstar, Puck (Eugene Judd), Sasquatch (Walter Langkowski), Snowbird, Shaman (Michael Twoyoungmen) 

Former Members 

Box (Roger Bochs), Centennial, Diamond Lil, Earthmover, Flex, Guardian (clone), Groundhog, Madison Jeffries, Major Mapleleaf (Lou Sadler, Jr.), Manbot, Mar, Murmur (Arlette Truffaut), Nemesis (Jane St. Ives), Puck (Zuzha Yu), Radius, Saint Elmo, Sasquatch (creature), Smart Alec, Stitch, Talisman (Elizabeth Twoyoungmen), Vindicator (Heather Hudson), Wild Child, Windshear, Wolverine (James Howlett), Wyre, Yukon Jack 

 
Other Members (Honorary, Reserve, etc.)

Formerly Beta Flight and Gamma Flight training squads 

 
Other Info

Inspired by the debut of the superhuman adventurers the Fantastic Four, Guardian (James Hudson) and Department H of the Canadian government decided to create a super-human response team. He drafted several super-humans into a team he called "the Flight." The Flight's first mission pitted them against Egghead (Elihas Starr) and several of his hired super-human henchmen: Solarr, Porcupine, Rhino, Swordsman (Jacques Duquesne), Power Man. (Egghead was planning on launching a nuclear missile into New York City from a location within Ontario.) The Flight was able to stop him, despite the fact that Wolverine could barely control himself and that Smart Alec snapped under the pressure. In fact, in order to save the Flight, Saint Elmo had to sacrifice his life to absorb the explosion. Due to the failure of his first effort (having inexperienced and ill-trained members), Hudson revised his plans and created a three-tiered system for the Flight: Gamma Flight, Beta Flight, and Alpha Flight. Gamma Flight would be the initial training program; Beta Flight would be the next training program; and Alpha Flight would serve as the active super-human response unit. (To learn about the above highlighted characters and/or teams, just click on their names above.)

Wolverine was supposed to lead the first Alpha Flight team; however, he left Department H and instead joined the X-Men. So, instead Hudson finished developing an advanced super powered suit and lead the team as "Guardian." The remaining five members of the original team were Aurora, Northstar, Sasquatch (Walter Langkowski), Shaman (Michael Twoyoungmen), and Snowbird. Soon after the team was formed, the entire Alpha Flight program and Department H was disbanded by the Canadian government for financial reasons. (To learn about the team and/or characters above, just click on their highlighted names.)

Later, when Canada was invaded by the Great Beast, Tundra, and the six members banded together with Beta Flight members Puck and Marrina to defeat the Beast. The eight elected to continue acting as a team, although the majority of the members infrequently undertook the same mission as the various members lived in different parts of Canada. 

At one point, Guardian seemingly died in the course of Alpha Flight's first major battle with a group called Omega Flight. Alpha Flight continued as a team with Heather acting in her husband's place as leader. In time, Heather adopted her own costumed identity. From then on, membership fluctuated occasionally. Other members would be inducted to the team as it continued, such as Talisman, Box, and Madison Jeffries, while others would leave for various personal reasons, such as Northstar and Snowbird. 

The Canadian government later resumed its funding of Alpha Flight, establishing for the team a headquarters on Tamarind Island off British Columbia. After some time, the team found themselves hopping from planet to planet and even dimension to dimension. During their absences, the government created a new Gamma Flight to replace the team. When the Alpha Flight returned from their absence, they clashed with the Gamma Flight. In addition, the Alpha Flight was forced to stand trial. Ultimately, Alpha Flight rejected the government's support and decided to operate independently once more, while Gamma Flight continued as the government-sponsored team. However, the two teams eventually joined forces against Llan the Sorcerer. During the battle, the Gamma Flight was nearly destroyed, but Llan was defeated. Afterward, Alpha Flight was again reinstated as Canada's official superhero group, with members of Gamma and Alpha Flights being reshuffled around into various positions of the Beta and Alpha Flight.  (To learn about Llan the Sorcerer, just click on her highlighted name above.)

Later on, the Alpha Flight went up against the Horsemen of Apocalypse. After the battle, the team and Department H were dissolved, and the various members when their separate ways.

At one point, Wolverine helped in reforming the Alpha Flight team against the weapon-making terrorists of Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.), during which the team regained a former member in Snowbird. Alpha Flight returned the favor by helping Wolverine defeat the cannibalistic sorcerer Mauvais. In addition, Wolverine briefly served as mentor to a new member, Earthmover, who was being groomed to replace Shaman on the team. (To learn about the team and/or characters above, just click on their highlighted names.)

Alpha Flight’s next challenge was of a very personal nature when Hudson was attacked and seemingly killed by an insane scientist, Jiroult, who sought Heather’s affections for his own. Hudson survived thanks to the mutant healing abilities of the X-Men’s Archangel. Afterward Heather gave birth to a baby girl. (To learn about the highlighted characters above, just click on their names.)

The team was later charged with retrieving Canadian citizen Sammy Paré from the X-Men's home at the Xavier Institute, as the Attorney General's office, the Governor of Connecticut, and the Canadian government had deemed the school unsafe for children to inhabit. This led to a clash with the X-Men, which was quickly halted after Sammy agreed to return back to Canada with Alpha Flight. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the character and/or place.)

Alpha Flight sought to impede the progress of the supremely empowered Michael Pointer but was decimated by his multitude of powers. Apparently Sasquatch was the only one to survive and has since then helped create a new Omega Flight. (To learn about the character and/or team, just click on their names above.)

When the Chaos King (Amatsu-Mikaboshi) began his Chaos War, he plunged the living into eternal sleep and destroyed the underworld, freeing the dead including members of Alpha Flight. The team fought against the Great Beasts who were helping to further Mikaboshi's goals, and at the end of the war Alpha Flight was permanently restored to life. Their first official act after being resurrected was to stop the anti-government fanatic Citadel along with Purple Woman, who stole a server that would allegedly expose the corrupt Unity Party led by Gary Cody in order to disrupt the Canadian election; they were defeated before the information was revealed. Later, Alpha Flight repelled an Asgardian hammer-wielding Attuma during the Serpent (Cul)'s assault on Earth and provided rescue efforts for his victims. (To learn about the highlighted characters, event, and/or race, just click on their names above.)

Some time later, the Master of the World, the force behind the Unity Party, ensured Alpha Flight was made public enemies and captured after Cody was elected to power. Vindicator and Northstar's boyfriend, Kyle, were subjected to the "Unity Process," a mysterious procedure that made them betray their former allies. Vindicator also killed her daughter's adoptive parents and reclaimed custody of her baby Claire. While Alpha Flight was held captive, Puck returned from Hell and liberated his former teammates. Alpha Flight discovered Unity was enslaving Canadian citizens whom Alpha Flight saved along with Kyle, bringing them to the isolated Yukon Territory to stage an uprising; Taskmaster was hired with stolen treasury money to train the citizens into a makeshift army. Wolverine decided to investigate the claims of Alpha Flight's traitorous actions but allied with them against Unity. The Master sent his new team Alpha Strike to destroy Alpha Flight, and Purple Woman was captured during the battle and used as a component to reverse the Unity Process. His plans quickly falling apart, the Master came out of hiding and confronted Alpha Flight directly with Claire in his possession, intending to raise her as his heir. Meanwhile, Alpha Strike was defeated and Vindicator and Kyle were cured. Guardian assaulted the Master's UFO, and together with Vindicator, they defeated the Master and saved their daughter. The Canadian government reinstated Alpha Flight as the country's protectors, but Vindicator left to raise Claire on her own. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn more about the characters and/or team.) 

More recently, when the Mayan Gods returned to Earth, Alpha Flight assisted Red Hulk into fighting them. During one of the battles with the Mayan Gods, Aurora, Snowbird, and Sasquatch were knocked into a coma. (To learn about the race and/or character above, just click on the highlighted names above.)

To learn a more about Alpha Flight, click on the following link, http://marvel.com/universe/Alpha_Flight. (Note: Beware of the form-fitting and revealing outfits worn by some on the Alpha Flight's bio page.)

In the film X2, a "Alpha Flight" folder appears on William Stryker's computer screen. (The team name is listed on the very top of the second picture posted above.)