Alpha Flight #2
Alpha Flight (Vol. 2) #2 is the second chapter of Steve Seagle's 1997 relaunch, the first sustained attempt to revive Canada's premier superhero team after the original series ended in 1994. The issue continues the series-wide thematic preoccupation with Department H's hidden agenda — a morally murky government-oversight conspiracy that distinguished the Vol. 2 run from both its predecessor and the bulk of mainstream Marvel superhero titles of the era. While the issue is not a landmark first appearance, it is an early showcase for Seagle's new recruits — Radius, Murmur, and Flex — each of whom receives an isolated combat sequence against Master synthoids, functioning as individual character spotlights that establish their personalities and power sets for the readership. The issue also continues to build out the sinister Department H infrastructure — with figures like Director X, General Clarke, and Dr. Horatio Huxley — that Seagle and Duncan Rouleau would keep developing until the series' cancellation with issue #20.
In "Fighting the Masters," Alpha Flight faces a wave of mysterious assailants who mimic their greatest enemy—the Master—only to reveal a surprising truth: these aren't the real threat, but synthetic tests designed to push the team to their limits. Written by Steve Seagle and brought to life with sharp, dynamic art by Scott Clark, this 1997 issue delivers a tense, thought-provoking clash that challenges the team's instincts and unity. The cover, also by Scott Clark with inks by Chris Carlson, captures the intensity of the moment with striking precision.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
In 1997, Marvel relaunched the Alpha Flight title with a substantially different creative vision: writer Steven Seagle, then best known for his work on DC's Vertigo imprint, was brought aboard to steer the book, with Scott Clark providing pencils for the early issues and Duncan Rouleau handling later chapters. The Vol. 2 series introduced several new teen characters alongside returning members Heather Hudson (Vindicator), Puck, and a de-aged, clone version of James MacDonald Hudson (Guardian), framing the team's adventures against a slow-burn Department H conspiracy. The series ran 20 issues and one annual before cancellation, and its major unresolved plot threads — including the true identity of the young Guardian — were eventually concluded in Wolverine Vol. 2 #142–143.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Story title: 'Fighting the Masters' — written by Steven T. Seagle, penciled by Scott Clark, inked by Chris Carlson; cover date September 1997, on-sale July 9, 1997.
- The plot involves the Master of the World assaulting Department H headquarters; Alpha Flight repels him, only to then face multiple 'Masters' in solo duels — each revealed at the issue's end to be semi-organic synthoids dispatched as a covert combat test, not the real villain.
- Characters appearing include Vindicator (Heather Hudson), the de-aged Guardian (later revealed to be a clone of James MacDonald Hudson), Puck, Sasquatch, Radius, Murmur, Flex, Sunfire, General Clarke, Director X, and several Department H scientists including Dr. Horatio Huxley and Dr. Ko Bin Su.
- The issue features a gatefold Marvel Universe Guide front cover — a marketing format Marvel used across its line during this period.
- The issue was published in two main cover variants: a 'purple cover' (Newsstand/Direct editions) and an orange cover variant subtitled 'Presenting the Master of Chaos!'
- New characters Radius (Jared Corbo, force-field mutant), Murmur (Arlette Truffaut, mind-control/teleportation mutant from Quebec City), and Flex (Adrian Corbo, limb-transformation mutant and half-brother to Radius) each receive individual action sequences, developing them as distinct personalities.
- The series, of which this is the second issue, was written by Steven Seagle — primarily known at the time for DC/Vertigo work — and ran for 20 issues and one annual (1997–1999) before cancellation without resolving all plotlines.
- The Vol. 2 series has never been collected in a Marvel trade paperback; all 20 issues remain available only in their original single-issue format.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Alpha Flight / Deadpool #2 (1998), Marvel Select #12 (1999)
Key issues in Alpha Flight
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