Remember saving my money for this issue. It was a $1 then, and that was a lot of money for me and had to decide between that and 2 other comics, but it was John Byrne, so I had to get it!
There are so many things that I loved about this series, but one thing that stood out is that John had most of each issue focus on each character through issue #11 after #1 leading to the climax of issue #12. It was an incredibly well told story ending with the actual death of Vindicator/Guardian, and the way he died was just incredible.
More info:
Exploding from the pages of the X-Men comes Canada's premier super-team - Alpha Flight! The monstrous Sasquatch, the mystical Shaman, the twins, Aurora and Northstar, the divine Snowbird, the tumbling Puck (1st appearance), the aquatic beauty, Marrina (1st appearance), and their leader, Vindicator, must reunite to stop the destructive elemental force known as Tundra. NOTE: Also 1st appearance of Omega Flight (Diamond Lil, Wild Child, Flashback,& Smart Alec).
The Prime Minister of Canada informs James MacDonald Hudson that Department H is shutting down their national super-hero team, Alpha Flight. Mac reflects upon what will become of the various team members, notably the rising stars from the back-up groups, Beta Flight and Gamma Flight. Donning his Vindicator armor, he flies home to Ontario to tell his wife, Heather.
Meanwhile, in the Northwest Territories, a man named Richard Easton conducts an ancient ritual in which he summons one of the power Great Beasts – an entity known as Tundra.
In Quebec, Jean-Paul Beaubier visits his sister, Jeanne-Marie at Madame DuPont's School for Girls. He tries to get his sister to shed her modest Jeanne-Marie personality in favour of her more free-spirited persona, Aurora. Jeanne-Marie detests this side of her nature and openly rejects Aurora, as if she were an entirely separate person.
Later at the Hudson residence, Mac receives a call from Alpha Flight's former government liaison, Gary Cody. Cody tells him about a bizarre phenomena taking place at Resolute Bay. Vindicator flies off to respond to the emergency. Heather, fearing for her husband's safety, activates a signal beacon that goes out to all former members of Alpha Flight, including upcoming recruits Puck and Marrina.
Puck is working as a bouncer at Corky's Tavern in Toronto when he receives the call. Exuberance overtakes him and he rushes out to track down Hudson.
In Newfoundland, Marrina carries on a conversation with her adoptive brother, Dan Smallwood, when she too receives the signal. She dives into the sea and begins swimming towards Vindicator’s coordinates.
In British Columbia, Professor Walter Langkowski perceives the summons as well, and is surprised to find that there is still a need for Alpha Flight. He transforms into Sasquatch and races to aid his old allies.
Meanwhile, Snowbird arrives at the scene where Tundra has risen from the Earth. Standing several stories high, he commands the very power of the environment, assaulting Snowbird with a barrage of rock and debris. The rest of Alpha Flight finally arrives including Snowbird’s close friend, Michael Twoyoungmen – also known as Shaman.
Vindicator begins attacking Tundra with a steady stream of electromagnetic energy, but Snowbird warns him that such an assault would adversely affect the environment. As Vindicator scales back his attack, a Canadian Armed Forces helicopter air-drops Sasquatch on top of the behemoth. Sasquatch begins tearing into Tundra’s side, until the Great Beast swats him away like a fly.
Snowbird tells Shaman that only the forces of nature can successfully stop Tundra. He uses his magic to summon a great deluge, which greatly wears away large portions of Tundra's form.
Marrina arrives, riding on top of a traveling waterspout. Shaman uses the excess water that she has brought to finish Tundra off for good. His body erodes away, until there is nothing left but a bed of silt and a large salt lake.
Realizing how effectively everyone worked together, Vindicator offers to re-establish Alpha Flight as an independent super-hero team.
