Alpha Flight #22
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeAlpha Flight #22 is the debut issue of Pink Pearl (Pearl Gross), one of the more distinctive villain creations to emerge from John Byrne's run on the title — a politically motivated, circus-based criminal who plots the assassination of both the Canadian Prime Minister and the American President. The issue simultaneously advances two of the series' most character-driven subplots: Aurora's dissociative identity disorder reaches a crisis point that drives her to seek her brother Northstar's help outside of Alpha Flight's structure, and the debut of the redesigned Box armor (Model 2) deepens the mechanically and emotionally complex relationship between Roger Bochs and Madison Jeffries. These threads together illustrate what set Byrne's Alpha Flight apart from its contemporaries — a consistent focus on psychological realism and personal consequence rather than team-level spectacle. The issue also carries an interesting footnote in comics history, as the Grand Comics Database notes that Pink Pearl's visual concept was closely echoed four years later in the creation of Big Bertha for West Coast Avengers #46 (1989).
In "Rub-Out," Alpha Flight #22 (1985), writer and artist John Byrne crafts a haunting, character-driven mystery as Heather, haunted by grief, believes she spots her late husband Mac in a crowded street. Meanwhile, Jeffries and Bochs push forward on their upgraded Box suit, while Aurora—her Jeanne-Marie persona in full control—turns to her brother Northstar for help, leading them to a circus now ruled by a domineering "fat lady" and her enforcers. The cover by John Byrne captures the tension with stark, expressive detail.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Written and pencilled by John Byrne — who was simultaneously navigating his final months on the title before departing after issue #28 — Alpha Flight #22 went on sale January 8, 1985, with a cover date of May 1985. The editorial team consisted of Denny O'Neil as editor, Don Daley as assistant editor, and Jim Shooter as editor-in-chief. Byrne has noted that the character name 'Pink Pearl' was inspired by Pink Pearl brand art erasers, a detail that also gave the issue its story title, 'Rub-Out.' The issue was inked by Bob Wiacek, colored by Andy Yanchus, and lettered by Rick Parker, making it a full solo Byrne creative vehicle in terms of plot, script, and pencils.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Pink Pearl (real name Pearl Gross), a physically imposing, super-strong villain who debuts as a 'fat lady' sideshow performer using a Quebec circus as cover for a political assassination plot targeting both the Canadian Prime Minister and the U.S. President.
- First appearance of Bones (also known as the Human Skeleton), Pink Pearl's contortionist henchman; his true identity is not revealed in this issue.
- First appearance of Clementine D'Arbanville, the circus owner and old friend of Jean-Paul Beaubier (Northstar), whose past ties to Quebec Separatist politics are used by Pearl as a frame-up device.
- First appearance of the Box Armor Model 2 — a redesigned 'living metal' suit built collaboratively by Roger Bochs and Madison Jeffries that allows Bochs to physically phase into and merge with the armor, replacing the original helmet-controlled design and adding flight capability.
- The issue's subplot depicts Aurora's Jeanne-Marie persona in crisis after an unwanted advance by Walter Langkowski, driving her to flee to Northstar's home in Quebec — a key moment in the slow deterioration of the Sasquatch/Aurora relationship across Byrne's run.
- John Byrne derived the villain's name from Pink Pearl brand art erasers, which also directly inspired the story's title, 'Rub-Out.'
- The Grand Comics Database notes a visual and conceptual parallel between Pink Pearl and Big Bertha (Ashley Crawford), who debuted in West Coast Avengers #46 (July 1989), describing Pink Pearl's design as 'almost redrawn identically' for that later character.
- The issue was reprinted in Alpha Flight Classic (Marvel, 2007 series) #3 (2012), in the Alpha Flight by John Byrne Omnibus (Marvel, 2017), and in Spanish in the Planeta DeAgostini Alpha Flight series #17 (1985) and Marvel Héroes (Panini España) #56 (2014).
Cast · 10 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Strange #204 (1986), Der unglaubliche Hulk #32 (1991), Alpha Flight Classic #3 (2012), Marvel Héroes #56 (2014), Alpha Flight by John Byrne Omnibus #[nn] (2017), Alpha Flight #17
Key issues in Alpha Flight
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