Alpha Flight #48

Name: Alpha Flight #48
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Jul 1987 · Marvel · 0.75 USD; 0.95 CAD; 0.40 GBP

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“Madness”

★ 1st appearance — Goblyn

About this Issue

Alpha Flight #48, titled 'Madness,' is one of Bill Mantlo's most narratively daring issues in the series, delivering the debut of Omega — a grotesque flesh-amalgam formed when the unhinged Dr. Lionel Jeffries (Scramble) merges his own body with the equally psychotic Roger Bochs, creating one of the more genuinely disturbing villains to come out of Marvel's copper age. The issue also provides the cameo first appearances of both Goblyn and Laura Dean (later Pathway), two mutant twin sisters whose complex backstory — rooted in anti-mutant bigotry and a harrowing prenatal experiment — would develop into a thematically rich subplot across the following year of the title. Together these debuts set off a multi-issue arc that tested Heather Hudson's leadership and forced Madison Jeffries into one of the most morally agonizing decisions in the team's history. The issue stands as a prime example of Mantlo's willingness to push superhero storytelling into body-horror and psychiatric territory well before those themes became mainstream in the medium.

In "Madness," Alpha Flight grapples with a dangerous mission when they bring the unstable Roger Bochs to Scramble for treatment—unaware that their own teammate Lionel may be more unhinged than he appears. As tensions rise, Lionel’s powers twist reality itself, merging him with Bochs into a monstrous new threat. Written by Bill Mantlo and illustrated by Terry Shoemaker, with inks by Steve Leialoha and Hilary Barta, and colors by Glynis Oliver, this 1987 issue features a cover by Kevin Nowlan.

writer Bill Mantlo · artist Terry Shoemaker · inker Steve Leialoha · inker Hilary Barta · colorist Glynis Oliver · letterer Ken Bruzenak · cover Kevin Nowlan

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VF $3.97 NM $6.49 NM $9.95 Alpha Flight 1987 #48 Marvel Comic Book $2 Alpha Flight comics by John Byrne - you choose! $2 Alpha Flight 1987 #48 Marvel Comic Book $2.5 Alpha Flight Vol 1 #48 1987 Marvel Comics $5

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History

Writer Bill Mantlo, who had taken over the series from John Byrne beginning with issue #29 after the two creatively swapped titles, scripted this issue as part of the long-running Scramble/Bochs thread he had been weaving since Alpha Flight #30. Penciller Terry Shoemaker handled the art — one of several rotating artists working under editor Carl Potts during this stretch of the run, as the book had not yet settled into Jim Lee's tenure. The cover, drawn by Kevin Nowlan, famously depicts the new Box armor that Madison Jeffries does not actually construct until the following issue, a production continuity error noted by uncannyxmen.net. The issue was released on March 31, 1987, carrying a July 1987 cover date, and is included in the 2026 Alpha Flight by Mantlo & Lee Omnibus, which marked the first time this era of the title had ever been collected in a major format.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance (cameo) of Goblyn, a mutant twin sister trapped since before birth in an alternate dimension called 'Liveworld'; creators Bill Mantlo and Jim Lee (per the Guide to Alpha Flight fan resource and Marvel Database).
First appearance (cameo) of Laura Dean, later known as Pathway, an autistic mutant girl with the power to open interdimensional portals; she and Goblyn are indexed as cameo debuting here, with their full first appearance in Alpha Flight #53.
First appearance of Omega, the monstrous flesh-amalgam created when Scramble (Dr. Lionel Jeffries) uses his organic matter-manipulation powers to physically merge himself with the mentally broken Roger Bochs.
First appearance of Freakout and Janus, additional characters catalogued as debuting in this issue per the Marvel Database.
Written by Bill Mantlo with pencils by Terry Shoemaker; inked by Steve Leialoha and Hilary Barta; colored by Glynis Oliver; lettered by Ken Bruzenak; edited by Carl Potts under editor-in-chief Jim Shooter.
The cover was drawn by Kevin Nowlan and depicts the redesigned Box armor — however, Madison Jeffries does not actually create that new armor until the following issue, Alpha Flight #49.
The story title is 'Madness,' and the issue was released March 31, 1987 with a July 1987 cover date; both a direct edition and a newsstand edition exist, as well as a Mark Jewelers insert variant.
The entire Mantlo-era run including this issue — Alpha Flight (1983) #30–70 along with related annuals and tie-ins — was collected for the first time in the Alpha Flight by Mantlo & Lee Omnibus, published January 2026.