Port Elgin, Ontario. ‘This is crazy! You can’t just burn our house -’ a man protests as he and a woman are led away by armed soldiers, while their beach-front home burns behind them. ‘National security. Shut up and get into the truck!’ one of the soldiers orders the man, bustling him and the woman into the back of a truck. ‘Northern perimeter secure’ a voice radios.
Down on the beach, inside an unmarked caravan, ‘Five little piggies!’ a woman exclaims as she puts a sandal onto the foot of a young girl. ‘And one little monkey!’ the woman adds, as she rubs sun-screen into the girl’s nose. The girl laughs.
Up above, soldiers in hover-vehicles fly over the forest, and announce that it is secure. ‘Coastline secure’ another radios from a small boat patrolling the beach.
‘Let’s go, let’s go!’ the little girl calls out. ‘Just a minute, darling. Wait until -’ her mother tells her, when suddenly, there is a knock at the door. ‘A soldier out the front of the caravan knocks on the door and announces that it is all clear. The door opens, revealing Heather McNeil Hudson a.k.a. Vindicator, who smiles and thanks the soldier, before telling her daughter, Claire, that they are on vacation, and leading her onto the beach. ‘Wheee!’ the little girl cries excitedly as she follows her mother.
Suddenly, the scantily-clad Heather turns to the water when a voice calls out to her. Shielding her eyes from the sun, Heather frowns and remarks ‘Well, well. Long time no -’, before the soldiers announce ‘Unauthorized intruder’ and begin firing.
The “intruder” is none other than Wolverine a.k.a. Logan, one of Heather’s closest friends. ‘Uff’ Wolverine mutters as he is knocked back slightly in the water. Heather whacks one of the soldiers in the neck and calling him an idiot, tells him to cut it out. Claire covers her ears from the sound of the gunfire and begins to cry. Heather picks her daughter up and tells her that it is all right now, while Wolverine makes his way to the shore. ‘Say hi to Mommy’s friend’ Heather tells Claire. ‘H-hehwo’ the young girl utters as she takes hold of one of Wolverine’s fingers. Wolverine smiles back, before Heather puts Claire down in the water lapping at their feet. ‘She’s a cutie’ Wolverine tells Heather, who replies ‘She’s my whole life. Aren’t you, baby?’
Heather pauses, before asking Wolverine what it is they are saying about Unity back in the States. Wolverine tells Heather that folks are a little concerned about the storm troopers and internment camps and whatnot. He adds that he was a little surprised to hear Heather calling Mac and the rest of the old team traitors. ‘Figured I’d check it out in person’ he explains. ‘The previous regime took away my daughter. Unity gave her back’ Heather points out as the little girl begins to run along the beach. ‘But it’s so much more than that. I’d like to show you…everything’ Heather tells Logan, before suggesting that he stay. Wolverine doesn’t answer, so as Claire rushes back to her mother, Heather tells Wolverine that she appreciates him coming to her first.
‘You always…understood me, didn’t you? A woman can tell’ Heather remarks. Logan smiles and reminds her that was a long time ago. Suddenly, looking down at the sand, Wolverine notices something peculiar about Heather - she only has four toes. His smile turns to a frown, and he quickly tells her that he is glad she is doing well, before turning and walking away, towards the forest. ‘Say bye, baby’ Heather tells her daughter. ‘Bay baby!’ Claire calls out to Wolverine. A soldier appears behind Heather: ‘Ma’am?’ he asks her. ‘Hit it’ Vindicator tells him.
An instant later, two jets fly over the forest and drop numerous missiles, which explode upon hitting the dense bush. ‘AAAGH!’ Wolverine cries out as an explosion resonates around him. But before it reaches him, Jean-Paul “Northstar” Beaubier swoops down and picks his fellow X-Man out of danger. ‘Northstar. I was just thinking about you’ Wolverine remarks.
Shortly, Northstar and Wolverine arrive at the Saint Elias Mountains, in the Yukon. ‘Guardian’s the one you need to concentrate on’ Jean-Paul tells Wolverine. ‘Mac, huh? Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I can handle -’ Wolverine begins, before Guardian a.k.a. James “Mac” MacDonald Hudson swoops up and pulls Wolverine from Northstar. ‘Idiot!’ Mac shouts. ‘What the hell?’ Wolverine mutters, before Mac tosses him to the ground at Alpha Flight’s base camp. The Taskmaster, who has been training Alpha Flight’s supporters, can be seen standing under a tree, while some of Alpha Flight’s supporters, wearing the “Groundhog” armor, are going about their business. ‘Never changed, never. Even after all these years - still the same selfish, half-cocked -’ Mac shouts.
Wolverine gets to his feet and releases his claws, striking out at his long-time friend. ‘You forgot “low impulse control”!’ Wolverine tells him. Mac’s force field protects him from Wolverine’s claws, and he informs Logan that they were staking out that spot and waiting for the opportunity to snatch Claire back. ‘YOU RUINED THE ONLY CHANCE I’LL HAVE TO SAVE MY DAUGHTER!’ Mac shouts, blasting Wolverine with a powerful surge of electromagnetic energy. Northstar, the alien Marrina and Puck a.k.a. Eugene Milton Judd are all standing nearby. ‘Those knuckleheads. They’re gonna wreck the whole camp if we don’t -’ Marrina begins as she moves towards them, but Puck stops his friend, telling her to hang on, as he thinks they are finished.
‘What the hell was I supposed to believe, Mac? Both of you calling the other a traitor - and no offense, but your wife used to be the dependable one’ Logan declares as he begins to get off the ground. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for the Unity Party line, too -’ Mac begins, but as he retracts his claws, Wolverine tells him that it is quite the opposite. ‘Whoever that - thing - says she is, her smell says…she’s not. She smells more like Heather than Heather ever did…I don’t get it’ Wolverine remarks, adding that she now has four toes. Dr Walter Langkowski a.k.a. Sasquatch steps forward and tells Wolverine that they know, explaining that their old enemy, the Master, has rebuilt his victims with Plodex technology, and that they don’t have appendixes, either.
Puck informs Wolverine that Mac and Walt have got a plan. ‘They haven’t quite explained it all to us non-geniuses yet, but they just need a little time’ Judd adds. ‘How was Hell?’ Wolverine asks Puck as they “fist-bump” each other. ‘Not the same without ya, big man’ Judd replies, before Wolverine informs his former teammates that he is out of time himself, explaining that he is an Avenger and has responsibilities. He adds that Steve Rogers is going to need to know about a major super-powered force amassing on the largest unguarded border in the world. But, as Wolverine climbs onto a motorcycle, Guardian puts his hands on the handlebars: ‘No’ he states. ‘You like that hand, Mac?’ Wolverine asks. ‘Damn it, Logan, can’t you listen to anyone -’ Mac exclaims, before Wolverine just drives away.
As he does so, he rips a large covering from a machine. ‘Careful, Logan!’ Walt calls out as he rushes over to the machine. ‘Watch out for the machine, you idiot! You’re about to ruin everything all over again -’ Guardian declares as he flies up and takes hold of the motorcycle. ‘Sorry, Mac - but I ain’t playing your game!’ With that, Wolverine shoves his claws into the motorcycle, and it explodes, causing Mac to fall backwards, while rubble drops down to the campsite, and towards the machine. ‘Dammit! You two stop fighting or -’ Walt calls out as he dodges some flaming debris, before Aurora a.k.a. Jeanne-Marie Beaubier swoops down and takes him into the air. Walt tells Aurora to let go, to which Aurora asks him if he wants to get squashed.
‘You don’t understand! Everything relies on that machine - we need it to reverse the Unity process’ Walter explains. ‘What?’ Aurora asks. Walt smiles at his ex-girlfriend and tells her that is the big secret - that the technology is nearly ready, and then they will save Heather and Kyle. ‘Which is why Northstar’s on the job!’ Jean-Paul declares as he swoops down to divert any debris from landing on the machine. ‘All right!’ Walt exclaims, before telling Aurora that it is kind of romantic. ‘Speaking of which…if I’d known it’d take me this close to you, I would have tried the powerless thing a lot earlier’ Walt adds. Suddenly, Aurora grabs Walt by his shirt and asks him what other secrets he is hiding from her.
‘What’s going on with you, Aurora? This is crazy!’ Walter exclaims when suddenly, a tyre from the motorcycle hits Aurora on the head, and she falls to the ground. ‘No! Aurora!’ Walt exclaims, before suddenly, he transforms into Sasquatch. ‘Squatch smash puny Canadians!’ he exclaims, emulating the Hulk, while holding Aurora’s unmoving body in his large hands. Northstar hovers alongside Sasquatch, while Guardian and Wolverine both turn to see what the commotion is about. Sasquatch strides over to them, and both Mac and Logan point at each other and say ‘He started it’. Sasquatch smiles at them, and both men smile back, before Sasquatch smacks Wolverine into the air, and Guardian along the ground.
‘Pretty lady…pretty lady okay?’ Sasquatch calls out. ‘I’m fine, you oaf’ Aurora replies, while Northstar helps his sister along. ‘Worry about yourself!’ Aurora shouts as she breaks free from her brother’s hold, and takes to the air, speeding away. ‘Wait! Pretty lady! Come back!’ Sasquatch calls out. ‘Cooome baaaack!’ he booms as he begins a rampage. ‘Gaaa! A little help!’ Marrina exclaims as she does her best to restrain Sasquatch. Two of Alpha Flight’s supporters, wearing the Groundhog armor move towards him. Guardian goes over to Northstar, who announces that he doesn’t know what has gotten in to Aurora, or Sasquatch, but that Aurora may be the only one who can calm Sasquatch down. ‘I’ll bring her back!’ Jean-Paul announces, but Mac tells him that it is too late, and that they need to prepare for the attack.
‘Attack?’ Wolverine asks as he, Judd and Marrina join Mac and Northstar. ‘Yeah. What are you talking about?’ Judd calls out. ‘I’m sorry. We always meant to brief you…’ Mac begins. ‘Who’s we? What’s going on here?’ Northstar demands. At that moment, Dr Michael “Shaman” Twoyoungmen emerges from a tent, surrounded by mystical energy, and despite the protests of the goddess Narya a.k.a. Snowbird. Shaman tells her to let go, but Snowbird suggests he not expose himself, as his mystical protections are all that hide them from their enemies. ‘Just prepare yourselves. And stand together!’ Shaman declares. ‘For ALPHA STRIKE is upon us!’ Shaman announces.
Indeed, in a burst of flame and smoke, Alpha Strike appear at Alpha Flight‘s secret campsite. Led by Vindicator, the team is comprised of Kara Kilgrave the Purple Woman, Wendigo, Citadel, Ranark the Ravager and…Jeanne-Marie. The battle begins immediately, with Sasquatch tackling Wendigo and shouting ‘Squatch smash albino Squatch!’, while Wendigo just roars his own name in response. ‘Wolverine. Long time no fight’ Citadel remarks as Logan leaps towards him. ‘Thought you were dead’ Wolverine replies. ‘Yeah…lot of that going around’ Citadel replies as Wolverine’s claws strike his adamantium form, sending shockwaves up through Wolverine, who grabs his arm in an attempt to steady himself. ‘Tch. How soon they forget’ Citadel mutters. ‘Weapon X gave you an adamantium internal skeleton…and they gave me and adamantium exoskeleton’. Citadel calls Wolverine “cuz” and pushes him to the ground, suggesting this will take away the pain of the vibrations.
In the air, Heather and Mac dart through the trees while blasting each other with electromagnetic burst of energy. ‘Bad enough you had to choose disunity and defeat, Mac - but you had to drag all of Alpha Flight down with you’ Heather exclaims. Mac tells Heather that he knows what she has been through, and that it is just Unity talking. ‘No, Mac! It’s the truth! Why can’t you see that? Others in your “team” have!’ Heather shouts, asking Mac if he didn’t notice that one of his is actually on her side. ‘She led us right here!’ Heather declares.
At that moment, Northstar falls to the ground, courtesy of his sister, who tells him that they need him to stay calm. ‘Aurora -’ Northstar begins, until his sister hovers over him and in an aggressive tone declares ‘How many times. How many times have I told you not to call me that? I am not “Aurora”. She’s nothing but a construct of all the wickedness and lust I’ve spent my whole life fighting against. I am Jeanne-Marie Beaubier! My true self! Free at last!’ Northstar tells his sister that she needs help and exclaims that they have done it before, so can do it again. ‘No. Only the Master can help me. He’ll remove Aurora - just as he’ll remove your sick obsession with me, just like he did with Kyle! You’ll meet a girl - you’ll settle down - we’ll be a real family at last!’ Jeanne-Marie exclaims.
‘You repulsive, insane - keep away from me!’ Northstar shouts as he tries to break free from Jeanne-Marie, who clings to him. ‘You didn’t think I could do it, did you? Weak little Jeanne-Marie, always the victim!’ Jeanne-Marie declares, reminding Northstar that he is her brother and that she has to look out for him, while adding that she can match him speed for speed.
Nearby, Snowbird has transformed into a giant white owl and is taking down Ranark the Ravager who is in a smoke form, while the Purple Woman approaches Shaman, muttering that she has learned the hard way that trying to get her hooks into Snowbird’s divine physiognomy is dangerous. ‘But you’re just some guy with a bag of many things, Shaman’ Kara declares as she touches Shaman, his appearance turns purple. ‘Be a dear and kill the goddess for the Purple Woman, won’t you?’ Kara asks him. However, ‘No’ a voice from above calls out. Kara looks up and sees Shaman’s astral form hovering above her. ‘What the what?’ she mutters, to which Shaman’s astral form reminds Kara that her mutant powers control brains effectively, but not so much the mind. His physical form then wraps his arms around the Purple Woman, imprisoning her.
‘Give it up, Heather! Before it’s too late!’ Mac shouts as he blasts Heather with a burst of energy. Heather fires a blast back at Mac, and exclaims ‘Ha! I just told you about your traitor and you still -’, but Guardian interrupts her, announcing that he knows all about Jeanne-Marie, revealing that they figured it out weeks ago. Heather looks shocked as Mac explains that Alpha Flight had a spy inside Jeanne-Marie - it was, of course, Aurora. ‘She made sure we knew all your moves’ Mac reveals, before telling Heather that, most importantly, Alpha Strike brought to them the missing component of their anti-Unity machine right to them. ‘You’ve lost, Heather. But now, together, we can bring you back’ Mac declares, as Shaman places that missing component into the machine - the Purple Woman!
Watching the battle through a camera in Vindicator’s goggles, the Master of the World is not impressed. ‘Hudson’ he mutters. ‘HUDSON!’ he shouts as he blasts his console with a burst of energy. Director of Department H, Jeff Brown, rushes into the room and asks the Master what is wrong. With tentacles sprouting from his body, the Master declares that he didn’t think it possible, but Alpha Flight has done it - they have figured out a way to undo Unity. ‘What? Why would anyone want to do that?’ Brown asks, so the Master smacks him in the head with one of his tentacles and shouts ‘Quit yammering, Brown! I must concentrate!’. The Master’s eyes glow through his helmet as he declares that, for months he has been lying in the shadows, extracting the necessary minerals for his ship from the soil of this rich nation.
‘But these stubborn fools have forced my hand!’ the Master exclaims, declaring that one small, misguided group of Earthlings cannot deny the whole planet its destiny. There is a rumble, then Parliament Hill is torn apart, as the Master’s spectacular ship rises from beneath the ground, destroying Canada’s parliament buildings, and the deadly villain announces ‘For the good of humanity…Alpha Flight must die!’
