Alpha Cameos in S.H.I.E.L.D #1

[Phil]

CBR have a preview of next week's SHIELD #1 and there are a few pages that might be of interest to some of us!

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=25288

Firstly, although not a cameo as such; a very nice touch on page 2:
4610

And a certain Dr on page 4, included in the heavy-hitter muscle of the MU:
4611

Probably not enough to make most people here buy it but I'll definitely pick it up (though not all the covers!) and hopefully we'll get some Alpha action in it soon!

[-K-M-]

Wow that's really random, especially a reference to the original Omega Flight team. I'll pick it up just based on that alone.

[rplass]

Nice! I hadn't planned on making the trek to the LCS for the "retail screw" week on 12/31 but now I definitely will go and spend all my money on those variants.

Someone's a fan of Omega Flight (Alec, not Alex tho). I wonder how that happened, and where's Box (Jaxon) - maybe scrolled off the screen edge on top?

[Phil]

I think it's there to show how much of an uber-nerd Coulson is; knowing the details of even the most obscure villains.

I can't recall Waid ever having written 616 Alphans before.

[rplass]

Oh see now you've stirred the pot.

Omega Flight's not "the most obscure" villains. They were the main villain in Alpha Flight #12 which was voted by fans in 2014 into the top 75 Marvel comics of all time, taking the #56 position. I would not call that "most obscure" at all. "most obscure" would be if they weren't even on the top 75 list at all, or never mentioned in an OHTOMU handbook once. Speaking of OHOTMU, Omega Flight had a 3page entry in the OHOTMU Deluxe Edition (issue #9) back in the 80s and again in modern times in 2009 in the Hardcover series, they had a full page entry in issue #8. So they are not "most obscure" at all. In fact they are one of the best villain teams, ever.

What's amazing about them is they have a plausibly deniable origin - the influence used by Delphine Courtney to make them turn on Mac, except for Jaxon who really was against Mac. Two of the team (Diamond Lil and Wild Child) would later go on to join Alpha Flight and other teams (X-Factor and the X-Men) as heroes. Oh and also Omega Flight is awesome.

[Phil]

They're still among the most obscure.
How many issues was that line-up actually together for, as villains?

#12 is remembered for the pages of Mac dying, not OF.

I'd estimate that 70% of current comic readers have never read an AF comic, if not more.

90% of people watching the SHIELD TV series have never even heard of AF.

OF aren't THE most obscure team ever but I stick by the view that they're one of the most obscure villain teams in the MU; mainly because 3/4's are dead.

[rplass]

Well as usual it's sobering reality vs enthusiastic fanboy. I can't recall Waid writing any 616 AF either. My notes return no results. He must be a sleeper Alpha-fan. Who'da thunk it? He could have put anything on that screen, right?

So good luck collecting all 13 covers :shock:

[Phil]

Reality bites...

I do genuinely love your enthusiasm though Rob, I always have done.

To take positives; more people now know of the existence of Omega Flight, and there are far more obscure teams, and worse ones to boot!

[-K-M-]

I agree Omega Flight are definitely obscure hence why I said it's very random to use them. Also to have them attack Baltimore? Odd choice. I wonder when this occurred anyways as AF #12 implied they weren't together long

For obscure team... very random they used them there. They probably got the reference due to the recent OF and Validator.

[Phil]

Some more Variants for the issue:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/12/29/13-covers-shield-1-launch-including-hastings-gamestop/

[-K-M-]

That's way to many variants haha

[Phil]

I picked up the regular, baby and Mahmud Asrar variants for less than cover price each with my usual discount so I left it at that for now.
The other covers'll go on my ebay/convention watch list for when they're cheap.

[rplass]

Well I got lucky to score the 1 per store variant and all the others, making a full set! Here's a composite image of all my 13 new comics! (big image)

4612

Not a bad haul for the "skip week"!

[Phil]

I can't recall Waid writing any 616 AF either. My notes return no results. He must be a sleeper Alpha-fan. Who'da thunk it? He could have put anything on that screen, right?
I just realised he put that little cameo in Original Sin #0, so there's a theme lately.


Well I got lucky to score the 1 per store variant and all the others, making a full set!
Just the Gamestop & Hastings ones to go!

[Le Messor]

I just realised he put that little cameo in Original Sin #0, so there's a theme lately.

That's the Windshear one we've discussed, right?

~ Le Messor
"The quizzical expression of the monkey at the zoo comes from his wondering whether he is his brother's keeper, or his keeper's brother."
~ Evan Esar

[Phil]

Nup; Puck, Guardian & The Master:
http://alphaflight.net/showthread.php?4715-Some-Alpha-Flight-appearances&p=94400&viewfull=1#post94400

[Le Messor]

Hmmm... I'm almost tempted to hunt down a copy.

[Le Messor]

OF aren't THE most obscure team ever

I'm reminded of a friend telling me about a number; what makes it interesting (to mathematicians) is that there's absolutely nothing interesting about it.
So, if we ever figure out what the most obscure team ever is, we won't know. Because it will be famous for being obscure.

~ Le Messor
"What I believe in my heart must make sense in my mind."
~ Ravi Zacharias

[rplass]

Hmmm... I'm almost tempted to hunt down a copy.

Hunt down the variant copy too. I prefer that cover to the standard cover, anyway!