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Saturday, 4 September 2021

AND GRAVES GIVE UP THEIR DEAD (1985)

Months ago, Alpha Flight narrowly defeated Jerome Jaxon's Omega Flight, but it cost them their leader and founder, Guardian (aka, James MacDonald Hudson). The team have been floundering ever since, despite the calm leadership of James' wife, Heather Hudson, and the addition of two new members Talisman and Box. Talisman is still struggling to trust her father, Shaman, following their reconciliation after a decade. And Box has had to sacrifice his armour to the spirit of Walter Langkowski whose physical Sasquatch form was recently reclaimed by Tanaraq of the Great Beasts.

Some time ago, Doctor Strange cast the rampaging Hulk to other-dimensional Crossroads believing Nightmare to have eliminated his Bruce Banner persona. But the Hulk recently transformed back into Banner who's very much alive, though he plans to change that in that hope that he can stop the Hulk from destroying any more lives.

Now, Alpha Flight and the Hulk are about to collide thanks to the interference of the Beyonder...
Previous stories that directly impact this one:
  • HONOR - Heather Hudson becomes leader of Alpha Flight
Crossover: This story builds in both Alpha Flight's series and the Incredible Hulk with both also tying in to Secret Wars II.

Alpha Flight #25
Talisman teams up with Guardian to apprehend Caliber who escape from jail has been arranged by an unknown party. Guardian is reunited with the rest of Alpha Flight and kisses his wife, Heather Hudson, to prove he's really James MacDonald Hudson. James reveals how teleported away through time and space to avoid killing Heather at the moment of his suit's self-destruction. Near death, he was saved by the alien Quwrlln at the dawn of man and placed in stasis until he could emerge in the present day. Elsewhere, Roger Bochs devises a plan to give Walter Langkowski and new physical body and free his spirit from the Box android... 

Incredible Hulk #312
The Beyonder explores at the other-dimensional Crossroads where the exiled Hulk finally recalls the memories of his childhood that were locked down inside Bruce Banner's mind. When he was young, Bruce's father resented the affection his mother bestowed upon him. Brian Banner eventually beat Rebecca Banner to death in front of her young son. Brian beat the adult Bruce Banner again when they met by Rebecca's graveside. When Bruce landed a job testing the Gamma Bomb, he transposed his affection for his mother to Betty Ross and his contempt for this father to the spiteful General 'Thunderbolt' Ross. The Triad who have been accompanying the Hulk at the Crossroads have been aspects of his subconscious all along (Glow is his curiosity, Goblin his rage and Guardian his survival instinct). The Hulk transforms back to Bruce Banner at the Crossroad where the Beyonder observes him, confused by his misery. Wanting to help him, the Beyonder steers an energy stream from the Earthly plane towards Banner...
Alpha Flight #26
Aurora is injured by Guardian while Alpha Flight test the government's new combining Macro System armour/robots. Guardian, Talisman and Puck then answer to a call to the West Edmonton Mall where they face Diamond Lil, Wild Child and Flashback of Omega Flight. Heather Hudson arrives and learns of their defeat at the hands of both Omega Flight and Guardian who unmasks as the robot Delphine Courtney...

Alpha Flight #27
Roger Bochs finds a near-mindless being at an interdimensional crossroads that could serve as a host body for Walter Langkowski. Shaman senses his daughter,Talisman, is in trouble and leads the remaining members of Alpha Flight to the West Edmonton Mall where Delphine Courtney - the Dark Guardian - steals Shaman's medicine pouch, turing it inside out. The strange magic that's unleashed consume both Alpha and Omega Flight and threaten to spread further. Talisman manages to turn the magic off, but she becomes trapped in the pouch when Shaman opts to save Snowbird from Delphine Courtney first...
Secret Wars II #4
The Beyonder goes in search of love, selecting Dazzler as the focus of his affections. He tries to impress herby transporting her to numerous romantic locations in rapid succession. He transports himself to West Edmonton Mall in Canada and briefly clashes with Alpha Flight who believe him to be another member of Omega Flight. After subduing them, he takes Shaman's medicine pouch and rescues Talisman from it along with a ring he wants to give to Dazzler. The Beyonder teleports back to Dazzler who rejects his ring and demands to be left alone. He tries to earn her sympathy by creating facsimile Avengers to attack him, then grants her some of his power to make Dazzler his equal. She forces the power from her body while floating above Dallas and crashes to the ground. The Beyonder resurrects her with unquestioning affection for him. Knowing her emotions aren't real, he decides to go on one last adventure with her until the effect fades...

Alpha Flight #28
Omega Flight's escape is blocked by Madison Jeffries who uses a robot car to defeat Wild Child and his former love Diamond Lil. Delphine Courtney uses one of Flashback's future selves to shield herself, killing it in the process and sending Flashback mad when he sees his own death. Jeffries uses his powers to tear Courtney inside out, then enters the Mall where the Beyonder returns Talisman to her father. She immediately punches Shaman out for choosing to save Snowbird over her and teleports Alpha Flight and Jeffries back to their base. Later, Heather Hudson discovers Box, Roger Bochs and Madison Jeffries opening an interdimensional portal to claim a new body for Walter Langkowski. When their device 'hooks' the creature they've chosen, Walter's soul leaves the Box robot and heads into the portal to greet it. Bochs reclaims Box and pulls the line back through the portal with the Hulk attached. The green goliath attacks right away, smashing Box's shoulder...
Incredible Hulk #313
Realising he's destined to be a part of the Hulk forever, Bruce Banner tries to commit suicide but transforms into the Hulk who prevents him from dying. Roger Bochs' energy robe latches on to the Hulk and he jumps into other worlds to try to shake it off to no effect. Walter Langkowski's soul travels down the line and enters the Hulk's body, pushing Banner out. Banner's fading spirit insists that Langkowski take the body and let him die, but Langkowski refuses to do that to Banner and leaves the Hulk's form, fading from existence. Banner is pulled back into the Hulk and is reeled away from the Crossroads, back to the Earthly plane where he stands enraged before Alpha Flight...

Alpha Flight #29
With Banner a part of him again, the Hulk isn't as savage but is still angry. He smashes Box, incapacitating him, then fights his way through Alpha Flight. Having lost his confidence, Shaman is unable to help and summons Snowbird to assist instead. As the Hulk makes his way to the centre of Vancouver, Heather Hudson leads the team against the Hulk. They hold their own until Snowbird arrives, taking the form of Tanaraq until the Hulk leaps away heading back to America. Gary Cody arrives and announces Department H has been set up again, offering Alpha Flight funding. Despite the narrow victory, Heather Hudson wonders how long the team will accept her as leader as she has no powers...
Dazzler #40 (1985)
Dazzler comes to her senses and leaves the Beyonder after their promised adventure during SECRET WARS II / THE CHASE.

Thor #363 (1986)
Algrim the Elf (having renamed himself Kurse) finally catches up with Thor during SECRET WARS II.

Alpha Flight #30 (1986)
The origin of Madison Jeffries is revealed when Alpha Flight face his insane brother, Lionel Jeffries, aka Scramble; Heather Hudson learns Madison has salvaged Delphine Courtney's 'Dark Guardian' suit and begun to repair it. 

Alpha Flight #32 (1986)
Heather Hudson dons the 'Dark Guardian' suit and becomes the new Vindicator.

Incredible Hulk #315 (1986)
As part of an experiment led by Doc Samson, Bruce Banner is physically separated from the Hulk.

Secret Wars II #9 (1986)
Alpha Flight are among the heroes facing the Beyonder in the final battle during SECRET WARS II.

Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe; Master Edition #9 (1986)
Delphine Courtney was actually a highly advanced robot created by the Brand Corporation under the designation MX39147; Jerome Jaxon was unaware that she was a robot.

Incredible Hulk #323-324 (1986)
Bruce Banner and the Hulk are merged again, returning the Hulk to his original grey form.

Alpha Flight #36-38 (1986)
Talisman battles Pestilence in the hope of showing up her father, Shaman, but Pestilence rips the Coronet of Enchantment from her forehead; Shaman defeats Pestilence and becomes the new Talisman when he retrieves the Coronet of Enchantment and puts it on.

Alpha Flight #44-45 (1987)
Walter Langkowski returns revealing that his soul was transferred to been the body of the tiny Smart Alec in Shaman's pouch; Snowbird is killed in a battle with Pestilence; Walter transfers his soul to her body, transforming into a white version of his Sasquatch form; when he changes back to human form, he discovers he's in a female body and takes the name Wanda Langkowski.

Silver Surfer #1 (1987)
The Silver Surfer finally escapes the barrier that's been trapping him on planet Earth during WAR OF THE ELDERS OF THE UNIVERSE.

Alpha Flight #48-49 (1987)
Lionel Jeffries returns as Omega, having given Roger Bochs new legs and a new body created using dead tissue; Madison Jeffries takes over the Box robot and identity, using it to kill both Omega and Roger Bochs.

Alpha Flight #68 (1989)
Snowbird returns to life and takes her essence from Sasquatch's form, returning the creature's orange fur and allowing him to become Walter Langkowski again; the Coronet of Enchantment is returned to Elizabeth Twoyoungmen, turning her into Talisman once again.

Alpha Flight #73 (1989)
Diamond Lil joins Alpha Flight.

Alpha Flight #76 (1989)
The Canadian Government creates Gamma Flight to replace Alpha Flight who they deem to be too hard to control; ironically, Wild Child is selected as a member.

Alpha Flight #87-90 (1990)
Gamma Flight turn against Alpha Flight, pitting Wild Child against Alpha Flight again, before being disbanded by the Canadian Government; the real James MacDonald Hudson returns as a cyborg having been saved by the Quwrlln (somehow giving truth to Delphine Courtney's cover story, though this is never explained); James Hudson takes the on the codename Vindicator again; Heather Hudson becomes Guardian; Heather Hudson and Madison Jeffries' relationship comes to an end when James Hudson returns, ending their romance and engagement.

Incredible Hulk #377 (1991)
Bruce Banner's relationship with his father is explored again; the various Hulk personas are revealed to be aspects of Bruce Banner's suppressed trauma; Doc Samson seemingly merges the green Hulk, grey Hulk and Bruce Banner personas, resulting in a combined Hulk (sometimes dubbed the 'Smart Hulk' or 'Professor Hulk', though this is later revealed to be the Hulk that Banner aspires to be).

Alpha Flight #102 (1991)
Wild Child joins Alpha Flight as Weapon Omega.

Incredible Hulk #393 (1992)
The Hulk confronts Igor Drenkov over his involvement in his transformation; Drenkov is revealed to have been besieged by nightmares ever since the incident.

Alpha Flight #104-105 (1992)
Diamond Lil and Madison Jeffries get married.

Incredible Hulk #-1 (1997)
Bruce Banner's relationship with his father is explored at greater length; it's revealed that Bruce retaliated back at his father in their dispute at his mother's grave, killing him during FLASHBACK.

Omega Flight #1-5 (2007)
A new Omega Flight emerges to replace Alpha Flight after their deaths at the hands of the Collective; Sasquatch forms the new team, adding Talisman as a reluct member during THE INITIATIVE.

Hulk: Winter Guard #1 (2009)
The Presence transforms Igor Drenkov into a gamma-monster; Darkstar kills the monstrous Drenkov after he eats the Crimson Dynamo.

X-Force #23 (2010)
Diamond Lil is killed during Selene's attack on the mutant island Utopia during NECROSHA.

Incredible Hulks #619-620 (2011)
The Chaos King creates an army by resurrecting the dead; Brian Banner is among those resurrected, transforming into a Devil Hulk/Guilt Hulk fusion and attacking the Hulk to feed from his son's fear; when the Hulk shows no fear at all, Brian Banner crumbles to dust and returns to death during CHAOS WAR.

Immortal Hulk #1-5 (2018)
Hulk battles Sasquatch when Walter Langkowski is possessed by the One Below All; Sasquatch is depowered; having found himself in the 'Below Place', Brian Banner becomes possessed by the One Below All and acts as his agent, capable of possessing gamma-powered individuals.

Immortal Hulk #34-35 (2020)
The Leader accesses the Below Place and tricks Brian Banner, gaining all of his knowledge of the One Below All and the ability to take Brian Banner's form.
Alpha Flight by John Byrne Omnibus
Alpha Flight Classic vol.3
Both include... 
Alpha Flight #25-29
Incredible Hulk #313

Incredible Hulk: Crossroads
Includes...
Alpha Flight #29
Incredible Hulk #312-313

Secret Wars II
Includes...
Secret Wars II #4

Secret Wars: Battleworld Box Set
Secret Wars II Omnibus
Both include... 
Alpha Flight #28
Incredible Hulk #312
Secret Wars II #4

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