Department H (H for Hudson)

[Snood]

I saw the above reference in the Guardian profile. I had always ASSumed the "H" stood for Hudson, too, but I was questioned recently and couldn't bring up a reference.

Can anyone confirm a reference to the above?
Thanks!

[-K-M-]

I saw the above reference in the Guardian profile. I had always ASSumed the "H" stood for Hudson, too, but I was questioned recently and couldn't bring up a reference.

Can anyone confirm a reference to the above?
Thanks!

Damn it! It definetly was said, just trying to remember where. Mac and Heather were having a conversation about it.

[Snood]

I was trying to remember where I'd seen it, and I was wondering if I'd just seen it on your site. I checked Alpha Flight I#3 and came up with nothing, so I figured I'd ask the alphamaniacs.

[-K-M-]

I was trying to remember where I'd seen it, and I was wondering if I'd just seen it on your site. I checked Alpha Flight I#3 and came up with nothing, so I figured I'd ask the alphamaniacs.

It 100% happened, I believe it was during a flashback. I'm going to look through the issues

It was definetly stated in vol.1

[Uncle Toxie]

I can go back and look in a little while but I am pretty sure it was stated in the 60's somewhere. I have been re-reading the latter issues of vol. 1 and they said it a few times I think. I'll go look and get back to you.

*EDIT*
Ok, I found it. Issue 51, Gary Cody is reminiscing about the original Alpha Flight.

"Department 'H' -- for Hudson -- was the spawning ground of the original Alpha Flight -- Canada's premier super-team."

[Mokole]

Welcome, Snood and Uncle Toxie!

I wonder if Department H is part of Omega Flight? Seems likely.

Edit: teach me to type while eating...

[Le Messor]

Welcome, Snood and Uncle Toxie!

You just like Uncle Toxie 'coz he's got a Box avatar too! :P

- Le Messor
"Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have of changing others."
- Jacob M. Braude

[Ben]

Welcome, Snood and Uncle Toxie!

I wonder if Department H is part of Omega Flight? Seems likely.

From AF.net interview

AlphaFlight.net: We can assume that Omega Flight has some government sanctioning, can we expect Department H to be involved?

Oeming: Yes, heavily involved in the Government, but as for Department H... we'll see

Ben

[Flightpath07]

Oeming: Yes, heavily involved in the Government, but as for Department H... we'll see

oooo...Oeming makes it sound so interesting, so mysterious...
can't wait to see what's up!

[Garry/Al-Fan]

I can go back and look in a little while but I am pretty sure it was stated in the 60's somewhere. I have been re-reading the latter issues of vol. 1 and they said it a few times I think. I'll go look and get back to you.

*EDIT*
Ok, I found it. Issue 51, Gary Cody is reminiscing about the original Alpha Flight.

"Department 'H' -- for Hudson -- was the spawning ground of the original Alpha Flight -- Canada's premier super-team."

Information off of Cody's raider disc in # 52, page 3 had it even more direct, supposedly coming from Mac himself: "That's what I told Gary Cody when I made my pitch for government funding for Department H. That's 'H' for Hudson. A bit presumptuous to name it after myself, perhaps..."

I don't know when this was supposed to take place in continuity-time and I've never been eager to try to come up with fixes/explanations for this portion of the series [because there's so much that needed fixing that the creative team didn't seem to try to plausibly explain], so I'm just going to state the things that just really don't make any sense to me whatsoever.

1) in both issues (51 and 52), Mac is shown in his "Guardian" suit. In UXM# 109, Mac says something like "Recognize me, Weapon X?" I'm assuming that in UXM# 109, this was the first time Wolverine saw Mac in his Guardian suit. If I'm wrong, it would be nice if somebody explained this discrepancy.

2) when Snowbird was having her baby, Shaman went searching all over for a place of power. How come he didn't consider his grandfather's secret lair in Alberta? [this is new for me; didn't think of it back when the books were originally published] Or did Talisman's power so supercede Shaman's that Pestilence's site was the only place he could go? It would've been nice if this was stated more concretely.

3) Pestilence, a human being, was in the ground for over a hundred years; Snowbird's baby had a human father (Doug Thompson) a human grandfather (Easton) and a demigoddess mother (Narya) and was far more human-looking than Narya was. How in the world could a neophyte villain just pop up on the scene and take control of six out of seven first-tier mystical beings like the GREAT BEASTS? I still don't understand that one.

Gotta stop or I'll give myself a serious headache.

[DelBubs]

I can go back and look in a little while but I am pretty sure it was stated in the 60's somewhere. I have been re-reading the latter issues of vol. 1 and they said it a few times I think. I'll go look and get back to you.

*EDIT*
Ok, I found it. Issue 51, Gary Cody is reminiscing about the original Alpha Flight.

"Department 'H' -- for Hudson -- was the spawning ground of the original Alpha Flight -- Canada's premier super-team."

Information off of Cody's raider disc in # 52, page 3 had it even more direct, supposedly coming from Mac himself: "That's what I told Gary Cody when I made my pitch for government funding for Department H. That's 'H' for Hudson. A bit presumptuous to name it after myself, perhaps..."

I don't know when this was supposed to take place in continuity-time and I've never been eager to try to come up with fixes/explanations for this portion of the series [because there's so much that needed fixing that the creative team didn't seem to try to plausibly explain], so I'm just going to state the things that just really don't make any sense to me whatsoever.

1) in both issues (51 and 52), Mac is shown in his "Guardian" suit. In UXM# 109, Mac says something like "Recognize me, Weapon X?" I'm assuming that in UXM# 109, this was the first time Wolverine saw Mac in his Guardian suit. If I'm wrong, it would be nice if somebody explained this discrepancy.

I don't have UXM #109 to hand at the moment, but to me it is canon. It was the original appearence and therefore written in stone. Wolvie makes various comments that suggest that this is the first time he has ever seen Mac in the suit, Anything else that followed, #51, #91/2? and the -1 prequel that came before vol 2 is shoddy writing and nothing else, (imho).

2) when Snowbird was having her baby, Shaman went searching all over for a place of power. How come he didn't consider his grandfather's secret lair in Alberta? [this is new for me; didn't think of it back when the books were originally published] Or did Talisman's power so supercede Shaman's that Pestilence's site was the only place he could go? It would've been nice if this was stated more concretely.

To my mind it was implied that all other places of power had been masked by Talisman to ensure that Shaman went to Croziers resting place, thus showing him up before the rest of AF.

3) Pestilence, a human being, was in the ground for over a hundred years; Snowbird's baby had a human father (Doug Thompson) a human grandfather (Easton) and a demigoddess mother (Narya) and was far more human-looking than Narya was. How in the world could a neophyte villain just pop up on the scene and take control of six out of seven first-tier mystical beings like the GREAT BEASTS? I still don't understand that one.

Croziers original intention had been to be left by his men on top of the ice and be thawed out by the coming summer heat. His men having buried him, meant that he had other a hundred years to become fully understanding of the forces of death and decay. He could therefore control the beasts. I know it's tenuous, but feasible (sp). My biggest query regarding that would be that as he never actually died, how could he be aware of what was occuring with the forces of death and decay?

[Le Messor]

1) in both issues (51 and 52), Mac is shown in his "Guardian" suit. In UXM# 109, Mac says something like "Recognize me, Weapon X?" I'm assuming that in UXM# 109, this was the first time Wolverine saw Mac in his Guardian suit. If I'm wrong, it would be nice if somebody explained this discrepancy.

I don't have UXM #109 to hand at the moment, but to me it is canon. It was the original appearence and therefore written in stone. Wolvie makes various comments that suggest that this is the first time he has ever seen Mac in the suit, Anything else that followed, #51, #91/2? and the -1 prequel that came before vol 2 is shoddy writing and nothing else, (imho).

This kinda bugs me, too, but this is Wolverine's memory we're dealing with.

- Le Messor
"Daddy, do people _buy_ houses?"
"Yes."
"How do they get them home?"

[Garry/Al-Fan]

...

3) Pestilence, a human being, was in the ground for over a hundred years; Snowbird's baby had a human father (Doug Thompson) a human grandfather (Easton) and a demigoddess mother (Narya) and was far more human-looking than Narya was. How in the world could a neophyte villain just pop up on the scene and take control of six out of seven first-tier mystical beings like the GREAT BEASTS? I still don't understand that one.

Croziers original intention had been to be left by his men on top of the ice and be thawed out by the coming summer heat. His men having buried him, meant that he had other a hundred years to become fully understanding of the forces of death and decay. He could therefore control the beasts. I know it's tenuous, but feasible (sp). My biggest query regarding that would be that as he never actually died, how could he be aware of what was occuring with the forces of death and decay?

Although our concerns may not be the same, it seems we both have major problems with the presentation of Pestilence's initial appearance. I believe that something allowed Crozier to have an understanding of the forces of death and decay, but that just brings up the question: who gave the frozen, immobile Crozier that information? If the worms (or whatever, got to re-read that book) told him, who gave worms the power to speak? Crozier, a human being with no discernable ties to mystism, and a newborn baby who hasn't walked, talked, or learned how to cast a spell, pops out of the ground and immediately takes over The Great Beasts. I'm sorry, I cannot suspend disbelief that far.

I could see if Pestilence made a strategic attempt to take over Somon, who is supposed to have control over all of the Beasts, and gained control that way, but they way it is presented, Pestilence has control over all of them. Again, I cannot suspend disbelief this far.

Snowbird needed the help of all of Alpha Flight to defeat the earthly incarnation of Tundra in AFV1#1. Even though we didn't get to see the fight, Snowbird had her hands full re-imprisoning Kolomaq in AFV1# 6.
Ranaq zapped Snowbird good in AFV1# 19, and Talisman could only balance Ranaq's power, not overcome it. BTW, the old Inuit mystic even said that no one could truly control a Great Beast in AFV1# 19.

It doesn't seem plausible that the newborn baby, despite how powerful he was and I believe he was powerful, would be powerful enough to control all seven of The Great Beasts.

I thought the plot-twist that allowed Pestilence to escape Elizabeth's power
(not truly being dead) was excellent, but the ending had too much of that "my character is way better than your characters" feel that Alpha Flight has suffered from far too often.

Pestilence should have been taught an unforgettable lesson for believing he could control The Great Beasts.

[-K-M-]

This is what I have to say of Pestilence controlling the Great Beasts....BAH!

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...light19-10.jpg

Definetly don't think he should have took control of Elder Gods.