Speculation: What if John Byrne had continued on AF?

[birdygirl]

I was just musing today, and was wondering: What if John Byrne had continued on Alpha Flight past issue 28? How would the characters have continued to develop?

I think he would have had the team set up a permanent headquarters on Tamarind Island, (he was certainly heading this way in AF #20-21).

He may have had Snowbird become pregnant. This was another storyline he set up during his run, and he seemed in favor of Mantlo's taking it further. Would JB's outcome have been different? Happier? Possibly. He did say on an early message board that the saddest thing about AF after he left was that it became "The Book Where People Died".

But would he have put Heather in the Guardian suit, or have Puck been possessed by Razer, or have the twins supposedly be elves?

I realize JB said in the last issue of his run that he had told all the Alpha stories he had to tell, but it's interesting to speculate about where he might have taken the characters. Does anyone have any ideas on this?

[Mokole]

Fewer characters would've been used, Heather wouldn't have been a hero, Northstar's homosexuality may have come out faster, there would've been fewer magic stories.

Who knows, though, really?

[Powersurge]

Well, considering that Byrne had little love for AF, he probably would have went on to kill off the rest of the team, destroy Department H, and lay waste to all of Canada.

Sorry.

[zephyr74]

But would he have put Heather in the Guardian suit, or have Puck been possessed by Razer, or have the twins supposedly be elves?

I realize JB said in the last issue of his run that he had told all the Alpha stories he had to tell, but it's interesting to speculate about where he might have taken the characters. Does anyone have any ideas on this?

Heather would definitely have become Guardian. I'd have to say no to the Puck/Razer thing and a big NO to the half-elves thing with Northstar and Aurora.

If Byrne felt tapped out with these characters, he did the right thing by walking away.

[zephyr74]

Well, considering that Byrne had little love for AF, he probably would have went on to kill off the rest of the team, destroy Department H, and lay waste to all of Canada.

Sorry.

Don't you think that's a little harsh? I've read articles and interviews as well as some web postings by Byrne himself and you can tlel he cares about these characters. Creatively, it's mature to move on if you don't have any ideas left for the series. Mantlo hung on when his well had run dry and look what happened.

[Powersurge]

Hey Zeph,

I dunno ... maybe it's a bit cynical, but I've actaully heard the exact opposite regarding Byrne and AF, ie. that he doesn't care about them and never wanted to work on the title.

I know it PO's some of the Byrne fan-boys/-gals for me to say so, but the writer I'd rather have seen remain writing AF was Chris Claremont. Byrne could stay on as artist though! His AF art rocks!!! They made a good team for AF.

[cmdrkoenig67]

But would he have put Heather in the Guardian suit, or have Puck been possessed by Razer, or have the twins supposedly be elves?

No to all of the above...John Byrne has stated he would never have put Heather in the Guardian suit (he wanted to have Heather as the behind-the-scenes leader of the team), He voiced disgust at the idea that Mantlo made Puck a normal-sized man who was cursed with a demon (Byrne wrote early in AF that Puck had Achondroplasia...He was a dwarf...Period)and He also cringed at hearing the idea of "the twins are elves" story.

I doubt he would have killed any more members of the team (He seemed to like Puck and Shaman, he loved Heather and he seemed fond of writing the twins)...He probably would have even brought back Walter as Sasquatch too, at some point. He would have left Mac dead, for sure. He also probably would have used Bochs and Jeffries a bit more.

I wonder if he would have Elizabeth/Talisman return...I'm also intrigued by the direction he was taking Snowbird...I think Birdy has it right, that she may have become pregnant.

Dana

[cmdrkoenig67]

Powersurge...You're partly right there...John Byrne has stated that he didn't want to do the series, but that doesn't mean he dislikes or hates the characters (he has never stated any real dislike for them).

He has said they were only meant to be an adversary team, One-shot deals and that they could never measure up to Marvel's original creations.

To me, it sounds like he feels his own creations aren't "good enough"(not being created by Lee/Kirby or Ditko) to stand beside the likes of the Avengers, X-Men, Spider-Man, etc...

Dana

[cmdrkoenig67]

Read up on some of John Byrne's feelings about AF here...

http://www.byrnerobotics.com/FAQ/listing.asp?ID=2&T1=Questions+about+Comic+Book+Projects#9

Here...

http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=24705&KW=Alpha+Flight

http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16642&

http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9416&KW=sasquatchKW=Alpha+Flight

Byrne would interested in revisiting the Twins...

http://65.87.240.174/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10655&KW

[birdygirl]

Thanks for all these great replies. I also like the idea of Chris Claremont as Alpha's writer. He did such a wonderful job with the characters in UX-Men #120-121 and 139-140; not to mention the classic X-Men/Alpha Flight story, "The Gift". I'd like to see a writer of this calibre on Alpha's next series, if it ever happens.

[zephyr74]

Koenig,

Thanks for the great links.

[Flightpath07]

As always, although i appreciate the Jonh Byrne links, i HATE to read how he feels about what i feel are his greatest creations. He distaste for his own work is...mind-blowing.

I found it interesting that he still feels something for the twins and Heather, though. His expressed interest in writing something involving them is interesting, but likely will never ever happen.

I wonder what his reaction is to Marvel killing off the characters he created? I wonder if he even cares...or if he feels that it was long-past time for them to be gotten rid of?


I also find it fascinating that he once planned/created a whole line of Canadian superheros that he wanted to write comics about. Any chance we could get him to re-visit that idea?

[cmdrkoenig67]

As always, although i appreciate the Jonh Byrne links, i HATE to read how he feels about what i feel are his greatest creations. He distaste for his own work is...mind-blowing.

I found it interesting that he still feels something for the twins and Heather, though. His expressed interest in writing something involving them is interesting, but likely will never ever happen.

I wonder what his reaction is to Marvel killing off the characters he created? I wonder if he even cares...or if he feels that it was long-past time for them to be gotten rid of?

Um...Yeah...I didn't post a link to his reaction to that news...


I also find it fascinating that he once planned/created a whole line of Canadian superheros that he wanted to write comics about. Any chance we could get him to re-visit that idea?

I must have missed that...Hmmmm.

Dana

[mreeez]

As always, although i appreciate the Jonh Byrne links, i HATE to read how he feels about what i feel are his greatest creations. He distaste for his own work is...mind-blowing.

I found it interesting that he still feels something for the twins and Heather, though. His expressed interest in writing something involving them is interesting, but likely will never ever happen.

I wonder what his reaction is to Marvel killing off the characters he created? I wonder if he even cares...or if he feels that it was long-past time for them to be gotten rid of?

Um...Yeah...I didn't post a link to his reaction to that news...


Dana

Wasn't his reaction something along the lines of good that they were killed off so Marvel can't screw with them anymore?

[cmdrkoenig67]

Wasn't his reaction something along the lines of good that they were killed off so Marvel can't screw with them anymore?

Not exactly....Although, he does say later in the thread that they could be brought back easily.

Dana

[zephyr74]

Maybe Byrne feels that way because Marvel completely mangled the characters that he created?

-Zef

[Flightpath07]

"Although, he does say later in the thread that they could be brought back easily."

I'm glad that we here are not the ONLY ones who think that!