You got me. I am totally stumped at this point. I don’t know it I’m coming or going. I don’t know if it is day or night. Are they winning or losing? Who can tell? My best guess is that this team of Canadian heroes tried to go back in time, more than once, and only made things worse with each passing effort! Oh yeah, they are - or were - or will be called - the All-New All-Different Alpha Flight!
‘Hey honey…I’m home…,’ mutters Nemesis as she enters the All-New All-Different Alpha Flight’s headquarters in the Arctic regions of Northern Canada. Her uniform tattered and clutching a wound from her battle with soldiers of the Militia for a Super-Hero-Free Canada, Nemesis makes her way to a seat, while the young Plodex child, Mar, begins to board up the door with planks of wood.
The All-New, All-Different Alpha Flight’s leader, Dr. Walter “Sasquatch” Langkowski is still trying to work out some equation on his whiteboard and declares that the first thing he would like to do is to save every day like treasure. Nemesis sighs as she witches on the television, where screening tonight on the history channel is “Blame Canada!”
(On television screen, showing what happened when time diverged from Alpha Flight (1st series) #12)
‘Shortly after a brief sojourn Stateside, the super hero known as Guardian returned to Canada with another half dozen fellow countrymen at his side, and together, the two teams formed a single fighting unit that allowed Alpha Flight to protect all of Canada from every threat, foreign and domestic: Snowbird! Sasquatch! Northstar! Aurora! Shaman! Puck! Diamond Lil! Flashback! Smart Alec! Box! Wildchild!
Or more accurately, most threats. For the one they could not defeat was themselves, as internal politics divided them in what became a super-powered civil war that threatened to tear the country asunder! As the battle raged, the normal, non-powered Canadian citizens grew weary of living in a war zone. And as is the way of many great capitalistic and free societies, the militia for a super-hero free Canada started as a grass-roots effort to -’
(Reality)
Nemesis switches the television off, understanding now why she was attacked by the Militia for a Super-Hero-Free Canada. She now knows that Hudson has to come back right away from the States, but without bringing a repentant Omega Flight with him, and stabs herself with her own sword to send herself back in time.
(In the Weigh Station, between life and death)
A fire rages at a large house in the middle of a farm. A woman lies in a dirt patch some distance from the fire, gasping for breath. Nemesis approaches the dying woman. Nemesis kneels down beside her past self, and holds her in her arms.
(Reality, in the past)
Nemesis watches as Guardian curses his overheating power pack, knowing that it was blow any second unless he cuts it loose. Nemesis turns and walks out of the room as Guardian mutters that he has about ten seconds. Suddenly, Nemesis is approached by a redhead with glasses who declares that she is trying to find her husband. ‘Tall, handsome, wearing an EM suit? Probably dressed like a Canadian flag’. The woman asks Nemesis if she hasn’t seen him while she has been skulking around.
Matter-of-factly, Nemesis replies that she has seen him, but informs the woman that if she bothers him just now, it would be the death of him, and she stabs Heather McNeil Hudson through the chest, killing her.
(Present, timeline diverged from Alpha Flight (1st series) #12)
Sasquatch is blown away from his whiteboard, wondering what Nemesis has done, when suddenly, Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, a.k.a. Aurora is standing at his doorway, with a very thick French-Canadian accent, short hair, and dressed in a revealing white and yellow costume, Aurora remarks that this is just where Guardian said he would be. Sasquatch is surprised to see Aurora and points out that she has been missing for so many months.
Aurora tells Walter that there is no time for adoration, as the others are waiting for him. Sasquatch asks ‘Are they?’ and wonders why Aurora’s accent is worse than he remembers. ‘What accent?’ remarks Aurora as she leads Sasquatch from the base. Walt carries Nemesis’ sword as Mar watches from a distance.
Aurora carries Sasquatch as they fly from the North to Parliament Hill, and Aurora remarks that he has been so silent during their journey, which she thinks is so unlike him. Sasquatch apologizes and declares that he is analyzing the differences between this timeline and the one he knows is the actual present, remarking that any changes appear negligible at best. Referring to “Negligible” Aurora remarks that that is one of the words she so loves. However, noticing a huge state of James MacDonald Hudson out the front of Parliament Hill, Sasquatch wonders if he spoke too soon.
Sasquatch follows Aurora into a room and greets Mac, ‘Um, hail and fare-thee-well, Dr. Hudson’ he says before adding, ‘Nice statue’. Mac replies that it does the job, in all kinds of weather, night or day, any time of the year, which is more than he can say for most people. Mac declares that since Heather was killed when they visited New York, his own life has had no meaning or direction, so if he had not had the idea of directing all his rage and loneliness into becoming ruler of the world, he doesn’t know what he would have done.
‘Everyone needs a hobby’ Walt tells Mac before asking him where he is going with this. Suddenly, Wildchild brings a bedraggled Nemesis into the room, Nemesis apologizing to Walter as she told Mac everything. Guardian motions to Nemesis and asks Walt if he didn’t think for an instant that he would not track down the woman who murdered his wife - and her associates. As Diamond Lil and Box grab Sasquatch, Walt tells Mac that he doesn’t know why Nemesis killed Heather, but that he can explain everything…most everything…hardly anything.
Suddenly, a large explosion ensures and knocks Mac sideways as he protests that he did not authorize an explosion. Sasquatch asks to be pardoned for the expression, before declaring ‘Its about time!’ to a one-eyed Yukon Jack, a machine gun toting Major Mapleleaf, a skanky Zuzha Yu and a leather-jacket wearing Centennial. Rutherford “Centennial” Princeton the Third tells Sasquatch not to blame them, as they were waiting on him.
The handsome Yukon Jack declares that he has a swell of elation at the thought of them being united again, to which Zuzha “Puck” Yu quickly tells Yukotujakzurjimozoata that no one wants to hear about his swellings. Yukon Jack declares that they have to set things right, to which the now bearded but still handsome Lou Sadler a.k.a. the second Major Mapleleaf exclaims, that chronologically speaking, Yukon Jack is right.
The All-New, All-Different Alpha Flight begin to engage Hudson’s allies in battle, while Nemesis and Sasquatch look at each other, and Walt pulls from under his fur Nemesis’ sword, which he then uses to stab himself, enabling himself to be sent back to the past.
(The past, circa Alpha Flight (1st series) #12)
In New York, Sasquatch, Snowbird, Northstar, Aurora, Shaman and Puck approach Yukon Jack who had just defeated Omega Flight, when suddenly, the present-time Sasquatch pulls Shaman aside. While the past Sasquatch, Snowbird and the others engage Yukon Jack in battle, Shaman wonders how Sasquatch can be both here and there, then sees that his magic tells him that they are both the true Walter Langkowski, and wonders how that is possible.
Sasquatch tells Twoyoungmen that the short version of a very long story is that he messed up, and asks Shaman if he has a spell or abatement or something in his bag of tricks that allows for them to talk in private for a moment. Twoyoungmen replies that he does, and turns to his teammates and says “Shush”. ‘”Shush?”’ asks Sasquatch ignores him, asking him what his problem is.
Walt declares that this is all kind of embarrassing for him to admit - but he used magic to try and affect a scientific outcome on a situation where time manipulation would allow him to alter a chronological alternative chain of events. Shaman reminds Sasquatch that time travel is very, very delicate, to which Walt replies that he knows, and that the more he tries to solve a magical problem with a scientific equation, ‘the worse the situation got!’ surmises Shaman, alluding the situation to trying to put out a fire with gasoline.
Sasquatch tells Twoyoungmen that it occurred to him that the only way to set things right was by using magic to correct the situation. Shaman rubs his head and tells Walt that that is a rather dicey proposal, but Sasquatch asks his old friend for one little spell. Shaman tells Walt that there is no such thing as “One little spell”, before reaching into his medicine pouch and pulling out seven coins, each one with the face of an Alphan on it - Snowbird, Northstar, Aurora, Puck, Guardian and Heather Hudson, and himself too.
Shaman and Sasquatch look down at the coins, before Twoyoungmen blows at them, turning into dust. Sasquatch looks around, and sees only himself and Yukon Jack still standing - his past self, Narya, Jean-Paul, Twoyoungmen and the others have all disappeared. Smoke begins to pour out of Shaman’s medicine pouch, Yukon Jack calls to Sasquatch and asks him what it is that is happening, Walt just shouts ‘Magic!’
(Present…relatively speaking…like back to Alpha Flight (3rd series) #9 to be precise)
Everything is as it was when the All-New, All-Different Alpha Flight began this particular misadventure - well, maybe not everything is as it was. Walt tells Alpha Flight to stand down after just defeating the Japanese super hero team, Big Hero Six. Sasquatch holds up a small device and tells Hiro that someone must have placed it inside his teammates, and used it to mind control them into attacking Alpha Flight.
Suddenly, Gardiner Monroe comes running up to Sasquatch, just like Walt expects him to. Walt tells Flashback that he hasn’t seen him since the Omega Flight incident, but Flashback smiles and tells Walt that he is just Gardiner Monroe now, and hands Sasquatch the medicine pouch belonging to Shaman, just as he promised he would all those years ago.
Sometime later, at the All-New, All-Different Alpha Flight’s base in the Arctic Circle, Zuzha asks Walt why he doesn’t just open it, as it is a purse. Walt informs everyone that it is more than just a purse, as it is Twoyoungmen’s magical pouch, from which he draws various magical items from an one-dimensional crossroads. Yukon Jack asks what that means, to which Sasquatch replies that he does know, as he is a scientist, and before that a football player, so magic is not really his thing. Walt informs everyone that he does know Smart Alec looked directly into this pouch once and lost his brilliant mind for doing so.
Centennial reminds Walt that Flashback said to him his friend gave it to him years ago, and asks how that can be possible when they saw Shaman leave with the pouch when he went into space with the rest of Alpha Flight? Before Sasquatch can answer, Major Mapleleaf declares that if looking into the pouch is out of the question…his voice trails off as Walt understands what he is suggesting, and proceeds to empty the pouch, where the coins depicting the original Alphans begin to fall out.
Suddenly, Snowbird, Guardian, Northstar, Aurora, Heather McNeil Hudson, Puck and Shaman appear before the All-New, All-Different Alpha Flight. Walt wonders how this is possible, as the past Guardian asks Sasquatch what is going on, as a moment ago they were at the Roxxon Corporation in New York City. The past Shaman declares that they have all been magically transported to this place, somewhere in the future! Snowbird declares that she was not in the states with them all, and asks what she is doing here. ’Not too confusing, eh?’ asks Judd. ‘This is exactly why I don’t deal in magic!’ exclaims Walter.
Soon, the past Guardian declares that this doesn’t make any sense, as how can they be here in their future, when their present selves are supposed to be in outer space? Walt exclaims that he doesn’t know, but that they must be here for a reason, so it is probably best that they do not try and mess with the time line by sending them back. The past version of the handsome mutant speedster, Northstar, goes up to Centennial who is cooking on a barbeque and asks him for a burger for his sister.
Nemesis approaches the past Shaman and asks him for a word, reminding him that they are both magical in nature, therefore they are the only ones who remember what exactly transpired on this day, but for how long, she asks. The past version of Twoyoungmen replies that only the Gods may say, before motioning to Centennial and declaring that the more important question, is whether or not she is going to confess to her one true love the secret which rages in her heart.
Shaman tells Nemesis that he doesn’t mean to be cruel, but that there are not a lot of pages left. Nemesis, looking at Rutherford, admits that she is holding out for a mini-series, or perhaps a one shot. ‘Uh, yeah. That’ll happen’ mutters Twoyoungmen. Nemesis declares that the first thing you learn as the Living Embodiment of Retribution is that Hope Springs Eternal.
The past version of the original Puck motions around to the gathering of heroes, past and present, and declares that he is not pretending to understand any of this, ‘But what the heck are we going to do with thirteen members of Alpha Flight?’
Afterwards, the original members of Alpha Flight reclaimed their name and went on to become heroes beloved and respected by the entire world.
Yukon Jack, having divorced all of his previous wives, married Snowbird, and returned to his lost city, where they have reigned happily ever after.
While they continue as two of Canada’s greatest super heroes, Major Mapleleaf and Zuzha enjoy weekends with their family, their son and the original Major Mapleleaf.
Mar now lives in Atlantis under the watchful eye of Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner.
After nearly a hundred years apart, Rutherford “Centennial” Princeton and Amelia “Nemesis” Weatherly were finally and eternally united, in death.
Thunder went on to form the League of Super-Pets.
Doctor Langkowski has since returned to his lab in the arctic circle where he continues to push the boundaries of technology using his favorite subject…’Whoops!’ he declares as an explosion occurs in the lab.
