Omega Flight #4

Issue Date: 
September 2007
Story Title: 
Alpha to Omega, part 4
Staff: 

Michael Avon Oeming (Writer), Scott Kolins (Artist), Brian Reber (Colorist), Virtual Calligraphy’s Cory Petit (Letterer), Will Panzo (Assistant Editor), Andy Schmidt and John Barber (Editors), Joe Quesada (Editor-in-Chief), Dan Buckley (Publisher)

Brief Description: 

USAgent, Talisman, Arachne and Agent Brown arrive in Toronto and become caught up in a large-scale battle between against the demons. But for every demon they destroy, the demons do equal amounts of damage to the heroes. At CSIS headquarters, Rachel Carpenter frees Guardian from his cell and asks him to help her mother. Arachne and Agent Brown try to rescue the civilians, while USAgent and Talisman take on the Wrecking Crew, during which they meet Beta Ray Bill, and Talisman is reunited with Sasquatch - who is possessed by the Great Beast Tanaraq! Things get incredibly bad for the heroes who are increasingly overwhelmed, when the possessed Sasquatch and the Wrecking Crew regroup and are about to take down Talisman, when Guardian arrives on the scene, Sasquatch traps him. Talisman urges him to fight back, but Guardian doesn’t want to kill anyone else - Tanaraq however, has no reservations about killing….

Full Summary: 

At the headquarters of the Canadian Secret Intelligence Services, Michael Pointer, a.k.a. the new Guardian, sits in a containment cell with “murderer” scrawled across. Head in his hands, he looks up as a voice calls out: ‘Mr Guardian? You’re the new Guardian, right?’ asks Rachel Carpenter inquisitively. ‘The Guardian? I’m not even Canadian!’ Michael replies. Rachel pushes a large red button on the outside of the cell and remarks that her mother is going to get hurt unless she has help. ‘You can help her, can’t you?’ Arachne’s daughter exclaims as the force field disappears.

Pointer tells Rachel that he doesn’t think that is a good idea and remarks that she could get in trouble for letting him out. Rachel exclaims that Agent Brown said he has the power to be the Guardian or something. ‘Mom’s fighting the bad guys. She needs you. Please!’ Rachel exclaims. A teary-eyed Michael just looks at her.

Meanwhile, the chopper carrying three very important heroes and Agent Brown nears its destination of Toronto and Agent Brown informs the heroes that they will be there any second, adding that the radio is picking something up. Smoke and fire can be seen in the city, when suddenly, ‘DEMONS!’ someone shouts from within the chopper as countless terrifying demons appear from nowhere and begin attacking the chopper.

Elizabeth Twoyoungmen, a.k.a. the phenomenal Talisman, readies her uber-powers while remarking that demons are more than “something”. The handsome John Walker, better known as the arrogant USAgent tells Talisman to lay off the peyote, and boasts that he has never met a demon whose teeth can’t get kicked in, before announcing that the chopper is going down, and turning to his long time friend and teammate Julia “Arachne” Carpenter, formerly the second Spider-Woman, he exclaims that he needs a soft landing.

‘Watch it!’ Walker snaps as a demon shoves its face through the window next to him, before it finds Walker’s boot in it’s face as he shoves the demon off the chopper. Talisman hovers in the chopper as it rolls mid-air and she exclaims that this is all connected somehow - the demons and the Wrecking Crew. ‘Walker, get me an opening!’ the strawberry-blonde Arachne exclaims as she moves into position while the chopper continues its fall to the ground, the big slobbery demons still clambering over it. ‘AGH!’ Julia exclaims as she embarks on the dangerous task of clinging to the side of the falling chopper. One of the demons growls at her, and she tells it to “shut-up” while covering it in her psionic-webs.

‘Don’t miss! Don’t miss!’ Julia tells herself as she pushes her powers to the extreme, literally weaving a massive web right beneath the chopper as it continues to fall, with the demons in tow, it suddenly lands in the massive web that Julia is holding together with all her will. The demons land on top and continue their attack, when suddenly, a burst of Talisman’s power sends the demons careening backwards and she, Walker, a weary Julia, and Agent Brown emerge. ‘What’s that saying? Any landing you can walk away from…’ Agent Brown begins, to which Walker exclaims ‘Dumbest saying ever, Canuck’ and begins firing at the demons with his shotgun.

Meanwhile, where the museum once stood, there is a gateway to a disturbing realm known as the Shattered Lands, where the mighty hero Dr. Walter Langkowski, a.k.a. Sasquatch, lies, badly wounded by the Wrecking Crew, he slowly regains consciousness, in a burst of ancient and terrifying energy, he screams, so unbelievably loud that the cries are heard in the real world….

‘What was that?!’ Julia exclaims. I don’t think I want to know…’Agent Brown whispers, while Julia motions to the sky where someone is flying about, ‘What about him?’ she asks. Walker tells her to deal with the yelling-thing and flying-thing later, as the innocent people come first. And as the demons continue to fall from the sky to torment the civilians, USAgent takes charge swearing madly at them as he blasts them with his weapon.

Up in the air, the “flying-thing” is actually Beta Ray Bill, who confronts the Wrecker of the Wrecking Crew and exclaims that he has crushed moons with his fists. Beta Ray Bill admits that he doesn’t know what strange powers course through the Wrecker, but that he has had enough, and smacks the Wrecker over the head with his enchanted weapon. ‘Nice shot’ mutters the Wrecker, before exclaiming that his power comes from the Great Beasts, and boasts that once the Wrecking Crew lays waste to the Earth, the Beasts will return and the world will belong to them. The Wrecker’s teammates - Thunderball, Piledriver and Bulldozer - all begin beating Beta Ray Bill up, when suddenly, Talisman appears.

‘Where is Sasquatch?!’ Elizabeth cries out. Piledriver goes over to her and punches her in the stomach, ‘Outta my face, little girl!’ he shouts. Elizabeth isn’t phased though, ‘This little girl absorbs magic power…idiot!’ she exclaims as she forces Piledriver back with ease. Talisman and Beta Ray Bill stand back-to-back and Beta Ray Bill remarks that Talisman has got an impressive trick. ‘”The enemy of my enemy…”’ Talisman replies, before Beta Ray Bill informs Talisman that he knows these demons and that they will not be easily stopped. They keep the demons at bay with their powers while Elizabeth asks ‘Who are you?’ The strange looking hero replies ‘I’m Beta Ray Bill’ before noticing a strange noise ‘What is that!?’ he exclaims.

The answer soon arrives, as the possessed Sasquatch growls loudly at Talisman, and knocks his friend over. ‘Walter -?’ Talisman asks, scared. Of course Walter doesn’t reply, just raises his powerful fists ready to slam them down on Talisman - until USAgent dives in and pushes Talisman to safety. ‘Let’s ride!’ exclaims Thunderball as he swings his ball and chain at Beta Ray Bill. ‘Come on, brother, we’ll crush this fool!’ Piledriver shouts as he punches Beta Ray Bill over. ‘You want a ride? Let’s ride then!’ Beta Ray Bill replies as he hit’s the ground.

‘We have to stop dancing like this, Talisman. It’s getting too cozy’ Walker remarks as the two of them gather themselves. ‘Now who’s hallucinating, Walker?’ Elizabeth retorts.

Thunderball and Piledriver stand, ready for more destruction, their eyes glowing red, the handsome Piledriver declares that this power is crazy and that he feels like he could crush planets.

Nearby, Arachne urges people into a truck which Agent Brown sits ready in the front seat to drive the civilians away, shooting at the demons who approach him with his gun, while Arachne wraps as many as she can up in her psionic webs. Bulldozer rushes up to the truck, ‘Do you think you can fit one more on that truck?’ he asks, when suddenly Julia latches a psi-web onto his foot, ‘Sorry…Canadians only!’ she exclaims, using her incredible strength to propel him into the air, forcing him away.

Talisman approaches Walter, asking him what is wrong, but Sasquatch, clutching his head, just roars again and rips up the ground, knocking several civilians into danger. Talisman catches them in a magical bubble, telling them all to hold on, while USAgent exclaims ‘Sorry to do this, you big muppet - but I can’t have you knocking my team around!’ as he tosses his shield at Sasquatch’s head - but the shield gets dented and is knocked away. Walker then smacks his foot into Sasquatch’s face, only for Sasquatch to pick him up and throw him high into the air.

Beta Ray Bill takes to the air, breaking away from Piledriver and Thunderball, ‘I’ve got you!’ he exclaims as he rescues USAgent. ‘What are you?’ Walker asks. ‘I am death to these beasts!’ Beta Ray Bill replies, before warning Walker to brace himself, as they fly through a group of the demons, ripping one of them in half as they literally fly through it.

A massive rumbling occurs, and things get bad for the motley band of heroes. Arachne is overwhelmed by the demons and loses control of her webs, while Beta Ray Bill drops USAgent, high in the air, as the demons begin tearing at his limbs. USAgent smacks down hard, not far from where Arachne now lies, motionless, blood splattered across her face. Back up in the sky, Beta Ray Bill drops his mallet, while the rumbling comes to a stop - as Sasquatch, flanked by the Wrecking Crew, halts just in front of Talisman.

The ancient evil rises all over the city in the flames and smoke, while demons continue to reign over the city - however, hope arrives in the form of a Mapleleaf costume - Guardian! He burns through scores of demons, arriving at the scene of horror, where an upset Talisman tries to reach her friend inside the monster ‘Walter, no! Please don’t make me - ‘ she exclaims, when suddenly Guardian lands, shaky though, and knocks Sasquatch over.

The new Guardian notices some incoming demons and tells Talisman, who is shocked to see him, to look out, as he is not real good at this yet, and aiming upwards, he destroys the incoming demons with a burst of energy, before telling Sasquatch to get down as he forces the Wrecking Crew back. Talisman informs Guardian that Sasquatch is not right, revealing that she has seen this before, that Sasquatch is possessed by the Great Beasts.

Suddenly, Sasquatch grabs Guardian by his neck, and Talisman urges Pointer to fight back, exclaiming that this is not Walter and that he will kill him. Sasquatch smacks Talisman to the ground. USAgent calls out to Guardian, ‘Do it!’ he shouts. A solemn Rachel Carpenter watches the scene on a monitor at CSIS headquarters, while Guardian exclaims ‘No…I was forced to kill Alpha Flight…I won’t kill again!’. ‘BUT I WILL’ Sasquatch roars….

Characters Involved: 

Sasquatch, Talisman II (former members of Alpha Flight)

Arachne III, Guardian VI, USAgent (all Omega Flight)

Beta Ray Bill

Rachel Carpenter

Agent Brown

Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball, Wrecker (all Wrecking Crew)

Unknown entity in Realm of the Great Beasts

Demons

Story Notes: 

Indeed, Michael Pointer is not Canadian, he is from Alaska.

Though it made for a great couple of pages, one must wonder why Talisman didn’t simply teleport herself and the others out of the chopper when it was in free-fall.

When Walter Langkowski first became Sasquatch, he simply assumed that he had found a way to transform his body into the mythical beast thanks to gamma radiation. In truth though, he had opened a portal to the realm of the Great Beasts and would take the form of the Beast known as Tanaraq, who eventually became the dominant mind, getting increasingly more violent, until Snowbird, the Great Beasts’ mortal enemy, realized what had happened, she was forced to rip Walter’s heart out to stop Tanaraq, who was then believed destroyed. Walter’s body was dead, but his soul lived on in the Box robot, until an attempt to find him a new body - which turned out to be that of his friend the Hulk’s - resulted in Walt’s spirit wandering the cross-roads of time, until he returned in the body of Smart Alec, before taking up the Box armor once more, before finally residing in Snowbird’s soulless Sasquatch form. [flashback story in Alpha Flight (1st series) #11, Alpha Flight (1st series) #23-29, #44-46]

Michael Pointer a.k.a. the Collective apparently killed Alpha Flight in New Avengers #16. BUT it is unclear whether it is the present or past versions of those characters that were slain, for as far as we know, the real Heather, Mac, Shaman and Judd are still in space with Snowbird and Earthmover, and it was the past versions of those aforementioned characters that joined Alpha Flight at the end of Alpha Flight (3rd series): The All-New, All-Different Alpha Flight #12. Though it is possible the real Alphans returned to Earth off-panel, and upon doing so, their past analogues disappeared, meaning it was the real Alphans who were unfortunately killed.

Issue Information: 
Written By: