[User]
<image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image>
Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Powered & Dangerous
Parliament Hill, Ottawa, ‘Whoa, what a headache’ Dr Walter Langkowski also known as Sasquatch mutters as he rubs his head, sitting on a bed in the infirmary. Director of Department H, Agent Jeff Brown, asks Walter what the last thing he remembers is. Straining, Walt replies that he remembers Canada under attack, and Attuma wiping out Vancouver - but Alpha Flight kicked his ass. ‘But then we came back here for the debrief…’ his voice trails off, before Director Brown informs Walter that upon arrival he collapsed on the flight deck. ‘Really? Wait. There was something else…’ Walter remarks as he tries to remember. But Director Brown tells him that he needs to focus, and motions to scans of Walter’s brain, displayed on a monitor. Director Brown tells Walter that the dark blotches show the hundreds of concussions he suffered from his years in American Pro Football.
‘Why…why am I only just seeing these now, Brown?’ Walter asks, confused. ‘You’re not’ Brown replies, confusing Walter even further. ‘You’re a biophysicist, Walter. You ordered these scans yourself three years ago. You told me this day might come’ Brown claims. Brown remarks that Walter’s frequent transformations into Sasquatch have only exacerbated his condition. ‘I’m not going to sugar-coat this. Without treatment, your cognitive degeneration will grow more and more pronounced. Deepening memory loss, depression, vicious mood swings, until...finally…you’ll cease to be you at all’ Director Brown tells Walter. Walter sees that Brown is smiling and asks ‘What’s with the smile’, to which Brown replies ‘Well, you’re sitting in Department H…and with your consent, we’re going to rebuild you. You’re about to achieve unity, Walter’.
Elsewhere within Department H, beneath Parliament Hill, two scientists are monitoring another member of Alpha Flight - the Plodex alien Marrina. The female scientist tells her male colleague that a candidate for unity should be entirely relaxed and accepting of the procedure. She adds that Marrina has consistently been rated Alpha Flight’s most anti-social and rebellious member. ‘I’m hard pressed to -’ she begins, but the male scientist assures his colleague that she is ready. From inside a cell, Marrina calls out ‘I know you can hear me. All I can say is believe me…you’ve shown me what’s coming. And I want it. I’m ready!’ The male scientist remarks that they were not entirely sure how the psychotropics would work on her alien physiology, but tells his colleague to check out the results. ‘She believes what she’s saying’ he adds. ‘All right. Quickly then, move her to unity chamber 8!’ the female scientist orders.
Two Department H soldiers stand ready to move Marrina, but the male scientist checks some readings and exclaims ‘Who, hang on. Heart rate, endomorphism…everything just went haywire!’ Marrina frowns and snarls ‘Oh, you know us aliens. So tricksy!’
In the chamber where Agent Brown is with Walter, a voice calls out to him, ‘Excuse me, Director Brown…’, to which Brown turns to the door and declares ‘I said not to disturb us…’, but the voice informs him that there has been an escape. Agent Brown steps backwards when he sees a large bull appear in the doorway, but the bull is just mystic smoke, which dissolves as Dr Michael “Shaman” Twoyoungmen explains that it is he who has escaped, as he smacks Director Brown in the face with a punch. ‘I know you’ve been drugged…but are you too addled to know when you’ve been saved?’ Shaman asks his friend. Walter adjusts his glasses and replies’ Heck no. Just a little surprised to find out my favorite moony man of mysticism actually knows how to throw a punch’.
Elsewhere in the labs, James MacDonald Hudson a.k.a. Guardian uses his electromagnetic power to break open the tank that Snowbird a.k.a. Narya is being held captive in. Shaman informs Mac over the communicator that Walter is free, and Mac replies’ Great - so’s Snowbird’, to which Shaman tells him to be careful, as she will not react well to imprisonment. ‘Right as usual’ Mac replies as Narya growls and shouts ‘These traitors will learn to fear the gods!’, while Mac tells Shaman that Narya is not the one he is worried about.
‘Marrina! We’re here to rescue you!’ Jean-Paul “Northstar” Beaubier calls out to his former teammate as he and the recently returned Eugene Milton Judd a.k.a. Puck stand in the doorway of the chamber. ‘HA!’ Puck laughs as he sees that Marrina has already beaten up the security personnel and the scientists, who all lie motionless around her. ‘Gee. Thanks. It’s the thought that counts’ Marrina remarks, before suddenly, ‘PUCK?! You’re alive!’ she shouts as she races over and lifts her friend into the air. ‘Thanks for noticing, kid. But put me down - I don’t bruise easy, but my dignity does, eh?’ Judd replies. Northstar crouches beside the motionless Department H staff and announces that they are alive. ‘Of course they’re alive. Just with a few scars’ Marrina tells him, grimacing as she declares that the next time they try and break someone, they will remember they are fragile, too.
In the other part of the lab, Mac and Snowbird find themselves under attack by Aurora, who speeds about and knocks them both to the ground. Mac asks her to calm down, and assures her that they are here to save her. Speaking French, Aurora replies ‘Save me? You fool! Unity was going to save me!’. Suddenly, Northstar speeds into the room and tells his sister that Unity were going to dissect her. But Northstar calls his sister Aurora, and she asks, in French, ‘How many times have I asked you not to call me that, Jean-Paul? I’m Jeanne-Marie. Not Aurora!’ she shouts. ‘Damn, Hudson - I warned you about this. Her personality splintering just like -’ Northstar begins, before an explosion smashes open a wall, and Department H soldiers open fire at Alpha Flight, knocking Aurora backwards.
‘Worry about her body splintering!’ Mac tells Northstar, while one of the soldiers orders him to surrender. ‘It’s Sasquatch time!’ Walter exclaims as he and Shaman rush into the room, and Walter lunges at the guards -  but his transformation does not occur, and a guard smacks Walter in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. ‘What the hell…my power…I can’t…’ Walter utters. ‘Mortal. Useless’ Snowbird declares before she transforms into the albino Sasquatch form she sometimes assumes. The soldier just screams as he stares up at her.
Suddenly, Puck bounds into the room through a high window, ‘What’d I tell you, Mac?’ Judd asks. ‘The multinationals are in with the saucer people! This is the first step to North American union! Canada will be no more!’ Judd exclaims. ‘Eugene. Look. I know you must have had a rough time in, uh -’ Mac stops himself before he can finish the sentence, but Puck does it for him: ‘Hell’ he tells him. ‘- Wherever you’ve been, but the only alien I see around here I on our side -’ Mac declares, although he may have spoken too soon, as he turns to see Marrina, hanging from an overhead beam, and wrap her legs around two soldiers, banging them together as she shouts Die, human scum!’ ‘- in a manner of speaking’ Mac utters.
Soon, there is massive explosion on the side of Parliament Hill that overlooks the water. Guardian, Puck and Marrina exit the area with ease, while Snowbird, still in her Sasquatch form, clears a path. Northstar carries his unconscious sister, while Shaman hovers in the air, the same hover-spell around Walter. ‘Woo-hoo! Let’s go get sushi and not pay!’ Marrina calls out. Walter tells Michael that he just can’t seem to activate his powers, but that he can still walk. ‘Doctor’s orders’ Shaman replies, pointing out that Walter still seems disorientated.
Nearby, Heather “Vindicator” McNeil Hudson turns to Prime Minister Gary Cody and tells him that she is ready to go after Alpha Flight. ‘No, Vindicator. Unity needs you here…to organize plan B’ Gary replies.
Nearby, in the city, armed forces have gathered, and General Edmundson radios Guardian. ‘Loud and clear, Sir! what’s the sit-rep?’ Mac responds. ’You tell me. We’ve been trying to reach you for hours’ Edmundson replies, explaining that since the attack on St John’s, people have been panicking and rioting across the country. ’Wait, St John’s been attacked?’ Mac asks. ’Where the hell you been, son?’ Edmundson asks. Alpha Flight use various means to fly towards the Major as Mac explains that they ran into some trouble with Department H. The General informs Mac that they have lost contact with Parliament Hill. ‘They’ve gone rogue, General. We’ve got o lock down the whole area’ Mac explains. ‘What? Who’s gone rogue?’ the General asks. Mac replies that Department H and the Prime Minister’s office have, maybe more, as he doesn’t know how far the rot has spread.
The General asks Guardian to slow down and follow his “ping” and get his team down for a debrief. Guardian changes direction and informs Alpha Flight that they have got friends. ‘Follow me!’ Mac orders. Hanging on to Northstar, Judd calls out ‘Hold your horses, ya dumb cub scout - I spent some time with a disappeared Black Ops agent down in the Eighth Circle, and -’ but Puck is interrupted by Northstar who tells him that his crazy talk is getting a little less amusing with each passing hour. ‘All right, fine…’ Judd mutters. ‘Guess I was gonna end up back there soon enough anyway’ he declares as Alpha Flight approach the General - only for a tank to unleash weapon fire at Guardian, knocking him backwards through the air. The General looks up and radios the Prime Minister: ‘Direct hi!’ he announces, assuring the Prime Minister that they will have the traitors in body bags.
But before any more shots can be fired, ‘Run for the hills, puny earthlings!’ Marrina shouts as she leaps from the back of the giant bird that Narya has transformed in. The General is shocked as some form of energy is emitted from Narya’s giant-bird mouth, and disables the tank. Before Marrina can attack anyone, Guardian swoops down and picks her up, taking flight once more. ‘Hey!’ Marrina shouts, while Mac calls out to Shaman, tells him that this is out of control. ‘Agreed’ Shaman replies as he hovers over the General, a bearskin cloak strapped to him, Michael calls out ‘All right everyone, chill!’ and an icy blast falls over the soldiers and their equipment.
Nevertheless, the General raises a weapon and tells his men to keep firing. ‘This can’t hurt you! It’s just a little bit of…ice’ he calls out, but is surprised when that “little bit of ice” turns out to be a huge chunk of ice that falls down on the tank. The soldiers dodge the ice, to which Walt asks ‘Wow, you’re quipping now, too, Mike?’ Shaman replies that he is multifaceted, before Guardian suggests that they get off the street. An instant later, the heroes enter a bar, only the patrons inside begin to run out the other door. ‘Look out - it’s them! What are they doing here?’ one man exclaims. ‘You dumb enough to stick around and find out? Run!’ someone shouts.
Alpha Flight, Northstar and Puck gather around the bar as Marrina declares that she is used to people fleeing and screaming in terror when they see her. ‘How you guys holding up?’ she asks. Mac remarks that he needs five seconds to think, and figure out how they have gotten people to believe whatever lies they are telling about them. ‘Lies? Who needs lies? The truth is damning enough. Look!’ Judd points out, motioning to the television which shows recordings of Alpha Flight battling Department H soldiers and the army, only moments earlier. A voice-over announces that in her darkest our, their country’s greatest protectors have betrayed them. ‘The Minister of National Defense has released footage of Alpha Flight attacking its government support team and destroying its taxpayer-funded headquarters’.
The news report continues, ‘These images, coupled with this terrifying scene captured by our cameras in the nation’s capital just moments ago, point to a disturbing shift in allegiance of those Canada once gave its highest trust’. The report continues as the unseen reporter remarks that shocking as they are, these events are not without precedent as the global crisis continues to rage. ‘American heroes such as the Thing have turned on those innocents they once defended -’ suddenly, the reporter gets word that Prime Minister Cody is speaking to reporters in the House of Commons. The news report goes there live, as Cody announces that he is afraid to report that Department H has discovered proof that the leader of Alpha Flight, Guardian, is in league with the hammer-wielders.
Cody continues, remarking that Guardian’s anemic defense of Vancouver appears to have been only a feint to allow St John’s to be completely destroyed. The Prime Minister tells viewers that, fortunately, not all of Alpha Flight has followed their leader into treason. ‘And one who still wears the flag proudly will track him down’ Cody declares. ‘Thank you, Mr Prime Minister’ Vindicator replies. ‘My God. This is a nightmare. I’m gonna wake up. Any second now…’ Mac whispers, while Heather remarks ‘Mac, if you’re watching, wherever you are…I don’t know why you’ve done this’. Heather tells Mac that she wants him to know that she is not going to let him get away with it. ‘The Canadian people won’t let you. And I’m going to organize the team that will bring you down’.
The Prime Minister announces that the Department of Justice herby issues a warrant for Alpha Flight on multiple accounts of treason, terrorism, murder and attempted murder. Headshots of the team - Guardian, Sasquatch, Snowbird, Aurora, Shaman and Marrina - appear on the screen as Cody declares that anyone who knows about their whereabouts should notify the authorities immediately, but should not approach or engage them. ‘At all times, Alpha Flight should be considered powered and dangerous’.
Northstar suddenly speeds to the phone behind the bar, thinking about his boyfriend, Kyle. He begins dialling as he remarks that he has not had a chance to check in with Kyle since he left for Vancouver. But Guardian grabs Jean-Paul’s wrist and asks ‘Are you nuts?’, stopping him from finishing dialling. Mac declares that any phone Northstar’s boyfriend owns has been tapped. ‘You’ll lead them right to us!’ he exclaims. ‘Fine. I’ll go by myself’ Northstar mutters, warning Mac to let go of his wrist, before he takes his hand with him. But Mac declares that Northstar is not going anywhere. ‘Not until the team figures -’ Mac begins, to which Jean-Paul quickly reminds Guardian that he is not a member of his team. ‘You don’t see my face on that wanted poster!’ Northstar remarks. ‘Tough. I’m deputizing you!’ Mac announces, pointing out that they are the only people who know the truth about Unity. ‘We stick together until we figure out how to bring them down -’ Mac calls out when suddenly, ‘Wait - where’s Aurora?’ Walter calls out.
At that moment, Aurora / Jeanne-Marie soars over Quebec. ‘Wait! Stop, Jeanne-Marie! Are you mad? I don’t want to go back there!’ Aurora shouts. Jeanne-Marie’s reply comes in French: ‘Of course you don’t, whore. They said they were going to cure me! Then you would be forever gone! No more powers! No more mutie madness! No Aurora, only Jeanne-Marie!’ she cries. The young woman continues to argue with herself, ‘You little fool! How can you be so naive?’ Aurora asks. ’You think these Unity fascists are “helping” us out of the goodness of their hearts? They want to convert us so they can exploit our powers! If anything, they’ll cut out prim, cowardly useless you!’ Aurora shouts.
Using her super speed and ultra-agility, the young woman begins fighting with herself mid-air! ’No! They’re the government - they wouldn’t do that!’ Jeanne-Marie cries. ’Gahh! How can you be such an idiot?’ Aurora asks. ’What has any figure of authority ever done for us?’ she points out, before continue on her journey, arriving at the nunnery in LaVelle, Quebec. ’Don’t you remember what they did to us at this place?’ Aurora asks as she bursts into an upstairs room, shattering the window. ’How we tried to kill ourselves by leaping from the ledge of this building?’ she reminds Jeanne-Marie. The young woman continues to fight with herself, remarking that they were saved only because their mutant power of flight manifested itself. ‘Don’t you get it, Jeanne-Marie, you ungrateful little prig?’
Aurora continues, remarking that Jeanne-Marie would be dead without her, and boasts that she is going to beat her self-deceptions right out of her head. ‘Maybe then you’ll have room for the truth. I’m not your enemy here!’ The young woman begins strangling herself as she reminds Jeanne-Marie that when they told their teachers what happened they called her a liar and locked them away, where that bastard LaClos could paw them. Jeanne-Marie’s face flinches at the mention of her abuser’s name. She screams his name, before the floor beneath her collapses. She falls to another floor and recalls that Unity has LaClos and they will give him to her if she helps. But Aurora tells her that it is just bait, that they are trying to manipulate her. ‘Shut up! I’m through with your lies!’ Jeanne-Marie shrieks.
‘Everyone thinks you’re soooo much stronger than me, but you’re not. You’re not!’ Jeanne-Marie exclaims, asking if it is strong to succumb to the temptation of demonic powers and men’s beds. The young woman continues to fight herself, as Jeanne-Marie boasts that she is the stronger one, that she always has been, and can prove it. ‘Jeanne-Marie! Don’t do this!’ Aurora calls out, as Jeanne-Marie picks up a shard of glass. ‘I can play their game.! I’ll give them what they want - as long as they give me what I want!’ Jeanne-Marie declares, before shouting ‘UNITY!’
Back at the bar a short time later, ‘Allo’ a voice calls out. ‘Whoa!’ Walter gasps. ‘Aurora!’ Northstar exclaims as everyone looks up and sees Aurora enter the bar, clutching her side, which is bleeding thanks to the large shard of glass sticking out of it. ‘Forgive me…I got separated…the soldiers…they attacked me…’ Aurora lies. ‘That’s some piece of glass…sit down, and let me see if they have a first aid kit behind the bar’ Shaman tells his teammate, but Aurora tells him not to worry, as it looks much worse than it is. She smiles as she looks at her brother and announces that inside, she has never felt better.
 ‘Great. Now we’re all here…here’s the plan. Soon as night falls…we head south’ Guardian announces. ‘What? You’re yanking my chain, right?’ Judd asks. ‘As soon as the going gets tough, we run sobbing like little babies into the arms of Uncle Sam?’ he asks. Guardian replies that their backs are up against the wall, and therefore they cannot let national pride prevent them from getting reinforcements. Mac points out that in the States is one of their own who can call on the might of the Avengers and the X-Men. ‘We need to find Wolverine’ he announces.
Meantime, back beneath Parliament Hill, ‘Citadel. Purple Woman. Congratulations!’ Director Brown calls out as he enters the holding cells. Both prisoners look up at Brown, and Kara Kilgrave, now known as the Purple Woman asks ‘Why, Brown? We didn’t get to break your nose’, referring to his broken nose. Brown has trouble speaking as he tells them that Alpha Flight has been dissolved, by decree of the Prime Minister, effective immediately. He informs them that the two of them are hereby drafted into Alpha Flight’s replacement - Alpha Strike, also immediately. “Alpha Strike?” Citadel asks, telling Brown that the busted septum must have got into his brain, announcing that he will never serve his oppressors. ‘The Prime Minister was most insistent, I’m afraid’ Agent Brown replies as an energy courses through Citadel’s cell, harming him. Kara suddenly finds herself confronted with an array of whirring blades that close in on her. She screams, and Brown tells her that ‘While being relaxed is Citadel for avoiding brain-damage while achieving unity - I won’t tell if you don’t’.
Elsewhere - the Rocky Mountain foothills in Western Alberta, Vindicator pops into the airspace above the lush expanse surrounding her. She flies towards a cavern in the side of the mountains, and as she hovers through the cavern, a voice suddenly calls out ‘I smell mortal woman’. Heather comes to a stop before a large mass of skeletons, as the voice asks ‘Who risks her soul by passing through the burial mound of the ancient shamans?’ Heather replies ‘One who, like you, has much to vindicate’. The mysterious being sniffs again and remarks ‘You serve the one of the Earth, older than I’. ‘I do, wise one’ Heather confirms. Heather explains to the mysterious figure before her that his fragment of the Great Beast helped them to subdue Snowbird, the half-child of the Inua, but she has escaped with her friends, including the Shaman of the Two-Young-Men. ‘I gather an army to crush them and ask you to wake from your long slumber and join -’ Heather begins ‘Save your shallow reservoir of breath’ comes the reply.
A blue-skinned being with skeleton-like hands and fingers, bones hanging around his neck and the skull of a deer over his face emerges from the bones. ‘Your enemies are the enemies of Ranark the Ravager’ he declares. ‘Gladly will I return to smite he of the Two-Young-Men and all who dare stand with him!’ Ranark booms. However, he warns Vindicator that by waking him, she wakes his masters, the Great Beasts of the North - and that they shall soon hold dominion and sway over all….


[User]
<image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image>
Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
With Many, Strength
A heavily armoured transport vehicle trudges along a dirt road. Inside the vehicle several civilians are packed in, their hands tied together and their heads covered with dark sacks. The vehicle passes a sign that says “Entering Saskatchewan. From Many People, Strength”. The vehicle passes through a gate. Several buildings are inside a high-fenced area, with a sign that says “Private Property” Am-Can. No Trespassing”. The vehicle comes to a halt, and several Department H soldiers are waiting. ‘Out! Out!’ they shout to the civilians. A soldier rips one of the sacks off, and recognizes the person - ‘Hey - I know you - you’re Alice Hu, you’re on the TV in Vancouver, right?’ he remarks. ‘That’s right - and you can be too - a whole night to yourself if you want…if you just tell me where the hell I am’ Alice replies.
The Department H soldier holds out a large knife and replies ‘Somewhere you ain’t special no more’. Alice looks at the knife and replies that she never thought that she was special. The soldier cuts the rope tying her hands together and tells her that she cannot sweet-talk her way out of this one. He hands her a helmet and announces that everybody gets one. ‘Everybody gets a harness’ the soldier adds, motioning to a rather familiar exo-skeletal armor, several of which stand nearby. ‘And everybody gets to work!’ he shouts, pushing Alice towards a pit. ‘My…God…’ Alice utters.
Meantime, in Ontario. ‘You sure you want to do this, Mac?’ Dr Walter Langkowski a.k.a. Sasquatch asks as James MacDonald Hudson, better known as Guardian opens a duffel bag, part of his costume - the red and white Canadian flag part - is inside it. Mac tells his friend that he is not sure of anything anymore. ‘I used to recognize this country’ Mac adds. Walter tells him that he thinks he is being too hard on Canada. ‘A bunch of villains with God powers are destroying cities all over the world. Not too hard to see why people believe whatever the Prime Minister tells them’ Walt explains. Nearby, Marrina Smallwood listens intently as Walt tells Mac that fear is a primal motivator, and that it gets the best of most of people from time to time.
Water adds that Shaman says there are real mystic forces at work here. Mac replies that there is nothing mystic about getting spit on in the street. Mac reminds Walter that he knows he had his qualms about sharing all his tech with the government when it was run by the good guys. ‘Now Canada’s turned her back on everything she believed in. We’re going to save this country…but I refuse to wear her flag any longer’ he declares as he throws the bag with part of his suit off the top of the Niagara Falls.
Meantime, at the US / Canada border, several Department H soldiers stand ready, as one of them announces that their number one priority remains Alpha Flight. ‘They dumb enough to actually try and get past here?’ another asks. ‘Those questions are above my pay grade - and yours, Gibson. The Party says we look for them’ the first soldier declares as he hands out photographs of Alpha Flight. ‘So if you catch what even looks like one of their shadows - shoot it!’ the soldier adds.
Nearby, a minivan is stuck in a traffic jam with cars queued up trying to get through the border. Inside the minivan, Mac and Walter have rejoined their teammates - Alpha Flight. Narya a.k.a. Snowbird, Jean-Marie “Aurora” Beaubier, Dr Michael “Shaman” Twoyoungmen and Eugene Milton Judd, better known as Puck. A Department H soldier approaches the van, which Snowbird is driving. ‘Anne McKenzie, Montreal PD, Sir’ the glamorous goddess remarks as she hands her RCMP badge to him. Narya tells the soldier that she and her colleagues are attending a law enforcement conference on the Hammer-wielders in Albany ‘Fine’ the soldier replies, before telling her to remain in the queue for the final checkpoint.
‘Sir Alec would be proud’ Walter remarks, before asking Shaman how long he can keep up the cloaking spell for. Shaman replies that so long as he can make this gesture, but that manipulating the minds of others has always troubled his conscience. ‘Maybe we should all hop out and kick in their heads instead?’ Walter suggests. ‘Cute’ Shaman mutters, while Mac, wearing his battle suit without the Canadian flag design, tells his team that Gary Cody claimed the border would be clogged with refugees from the attacks in the States, but that the checkpoint on the other side is empty. ‘Ooh! The totalitarian regime lied! Pinch me, I’m dreaming!’ Judd exclaims, while asking ‘And we’re running from these losers? Where am I supposed to get a decent poutine?’
Suddenly, a sopping wet Marrina appears at the van, and gets into it. ‘Marrina! Where have you been, child? The guards could have seen - and you are dropping everywhere!’ Jeanne-Marie points out. Marrina replies that she has no idea how long they are going to be stuck in the “Mystery Machine”, possibly all the way to Avengers Tower, which is why she took a dip. Sitting next to Jeanne-Marie, Marrina asks her why she is picking on her anyway. ‘I don’t see your brother anywhere -’ Marrina begins. Aurora replies that he flew off to Montreal to fetch his roommate, Kyle. ‘Jean-Paul, always with the wrong priorities. I a still waiting for him to find a nice girl to settle down and start making nieces and nephews with!’ Aurora declares. ‘Uh…what? No offense, Aurora…but how well do you know Northstar?’ Marrina asks.
At that moment, in Montreal, ‘Kyle…?’ Jean-Paul “Northstar” Beaubier calls out as he arrives at the apartment he shares with his boyfriend Kyle Jinadu, only to find the apartment in ruins. Northstar narrows his eyes, furious.
Shortly, at a hospital, two medical personnel are discussing sport in their native French, when suddenly, one of them is lifted into the air. Northstar holds the doctor up by his collar, high above the city and asks, also in French, ‘Kyle Jinadu. Where is he?’ The stunned doctor is speechless, as Northstar realizes that is because of the altitude. ‘Let me help you with that’ Northstar remarks as he drops the doctor, who screams as he plummets towards the ground - and almost smacks into the street below until Northstar speeds down and pulls him back up. ‘I - I thought you liberals were against torture?’ the doctor asks. ‘Tch. Liberal? I’m a terrorist, remember?’ Northstar replies, as he hovers at about the twelfth floor of a nearby building.
The doctor’s shirt begins to rip at the sleeve where Northstar is holding him up, and Jean-Paul tells the doctor what that what he really needs is a tailor, as the sleeve will tear right out of his hands any second. The doctor shouts that he doesn’t know where they took him, and that he is telling the truth. He explains that Unity Party people muscled out Montreal PD, and those “Department H” men in black took him. ‘And you let them. I can hear your seams popping out, one by one’ Northstar replies. The doctor urgently tells Northstar that there are rumors around the station, as one of the guys has a cousin at “H”. He reveals that a lot of the people that have disappeared are being sent to some kind of camp, in northern Saskatchewan, near the lakes. Northstar frowns.
Meantime, outside of Ottawa, a dozen Department H soldiers have surrounded a home. ‘What are you people doing here? We haven’t done anything wrong!’ exclaims David McNeil as he stands at the front door, his wife Yvette and their adopted daughter / niece, Claire McNeil Hudson in her arms. ‘I voted for Gary Cody! He’s my MP! We don’t have anything to do with anybody holding a hammer!’ David declares. The Department H soldiers remain silent, but David states that Claire is his baby now, and they won’t let her anywhere near that traitor Guardian, even if he is her biological father. ‘Heather Hudson - her mother - is my cousin! And if she knew you were here, she’d -’ David begins, when suddenly, he feels a sting of energy on his shoulder, and looks up as Heather McNeil Hudson a.k.a. Vindicator drops down through the ceiling. ‘No need to guess, Davey. I’ll tell you’ Heather tells her cousin.
‘You give me my baby back. Now. Or I’m gonna kill you’ Heather warns her cousin. Yvette looks horrified and covers the baby’s face as they and David are backed into a corner of the room. ‘You crazy fascist @#$%&!’ Your side of the family’s always been nuts! My father always said so! He never wanted anything to do with you!’ David shouts angrily as he puts his arms around his wife and the baby. Without hesitation, Heather releases a burst of electromagnetic energy and fires it at their heads, killing them. The baby drops out of Yvette’s arms and Heather picks her daughter up. Outside, one of the Department H soldiers states that Commander Hudson acted in self-defense, as the suspects went for weapons. ‘Clearly, sir’ another soldier replies, adding that is exactly what his report already says, while Heather flies overheard, smiling as she holds her distressed baby in her arms.
Soon, back at Department H, ‘Ah. Congratulations, Vindicator. We’ll have the nursing staff take care of the child for now -’ Director Jeff Brown calls out as he strides towards Heather, who holds her baby in her arms. ‘Back off, Brown!’ Heather replies as she continues down a corridor. Brown calls out after her, telling her to wait, pointing out that she is heading into the red zone. ‘We’re still stabilizing the new recruits -’ he begins, before Heather sends an electromagnetic charge through a console and announces that this should help. ‘What are you doing? They’re animals!’ Brown exclaims. ‘No. They’re heroes’ Heather replies, while the computer states ‘Master override - all cells opening’. Heather enters the cells, and holds her daughter up, while several figures stand in the shadows. ‘They need to know what we’re fighting for’ A large furry white hand reaches down and touches the baby’s face, causing her to cry, while Heather just smiles.
Ten miles south of the Canadian border, the minivan comes to a screeching halt on the side of the road, and Snowbird leaves the van, clutching her head. ‘What the hell?’ someone asks. ‘Snowbird! What is it!?’ Mac exclaims as he gets out of the van, following Shaman. ‘The Ssserpent! The Asgardian who attacks out world grows stronger!’ Narya announces. Shaman concentrates hard and announces that he feels it, too. ‘New York has fallen’ Shaman states, creating an mystical projection of the city in flames. Mac urges Shaman to find Wolverine, and a mystical image of their friend appears. ‘Logan! Don’t worry! We’re coming to help!’ Mac remarks. But Shaman points out that Wolverine cannot hear, before asking Guardian what he is talking about. ‘I thought he was going to help us’ Shaman remarks. But Guardian replies that the people are broken, that they cannot help them until they kill the thing that is spreading this fear. ‘People are always broken, Mac…that’s why they need you!’ Northstar declares as he drops down beside his former teammates.
Soon, at the Am-Can facility in northern Saskatchewan, a teleport signal glows in the air as Alpha Flight, Northstar and Puck arrive in one of the tunnels. Marrina asks Shaman why he didn’t just teleport them out of the country in the first place, to which Shaman explains that he didn’t for the same reason he doesn’t like doing it now, as expending this much mystic energy exhausts him and leaves traces for their enemies to track. Northstar announces that the enemy will know they are here soon enough, and motions to an area where several prisoners are going about their duties, moving some rocks into containers. Northstar announces that the prisoners are journalists, activists, and intellectuals - anyone that Prime Minister Cody thought might make trouble.
‘Dammit. Those are my original “Groundhog” suit designs’ Mac announces, adding that they were supposed to terraform Mars, not strip mine a nature reserve. ‘That’s what you get for trusting the government’ Northstar mutters. ‘And what did I get for trusting you?’ Mac replies. ‘Eh?’ Northstar asks, to which Guardian announces that he just counts twelve guards. ‘Why’d you come back for us rather than rescue Kyle yourself?’ Northstar replies that he is fast enough to handle five times that number of minions, but that he needed a little more firepower. He turns Alpha Flight’s attention to a large spaceship positioned in a small valley. ‘My God’ Mac utters. ‘…to take out the alien starship’ Northstar finishes his sentence. Puck smiles and laughs, boasting ‘I told you! The multinationals are in it with the saucer people! You owe me a beer!’ he tells Mac, who ignores his diminutive companion and remarks ‘Here‘s the plan…’.
A short time later, Northstar speeds down a tunnel, punching his way through the Department H soldiers, while calling out to his boyfriend as he checks all of the exo-skeleton armor. ‘Kyle! Where are you?’ Jean-Paul shouts. Nearby, ‘Die, alien scum!’ Marrina shouts as she leaps into battle against several large insect-like robots who fire laser beams. ‘Or even just dent a little, maybe?’ Puck suggests as he struggles against one of the robots, while Walter tries hitting one with a large stick. Mac sees the robot fire at Walter, and he flies down to rescue his friend. ‘Watch it!’ Mac exclaims. ‘Dammit - they’re tearing us apart! This isn’t normal metal’ Walter remarks, wishing he could figure out how to transform again. ‘You need a Sasquatch here…’ he states. ‘Or maybe ten’ Mac replies as he drops Walter to the ground. ‘What?’ Walter asks.
Nearby, several prisoners in the exo-skeletal armor are gathered, and one of them utters ‘Oh, God…oh please…’ and Mac recognizes her. ‘Alice Hu, isn’t’ it? Get up’ he tells her. ‘What? No…no…’ Alice utters. ‘Come on. You’re wearing the toughest armor this side of Tony Stark’ Mac tells her, before shouting ‘NOW GET UP!’ while laser fire continues around them. Snowbird has transformed herself into a massive bird and she attacks one of the robots, while Marrina bases it with a rock. Aurora darts about, dodging laser fire. Mac turns to Alice and the other prisoners and tells them that he knows they are scared, but that they are here because someone was scared of them. ‘Because someone thought you might stand up for what’s right. Because you actually might care about your country enough to fight for it. Well, now it’s time to prove ‘em right!’ Mac declares.
Suddenly, Marrina drops down beside Mac and tells him ‘Awesome speech. It’s be even awesomer if you were wearing this’. Mac is confused, as Marrina throws him his costume covering. Marrina smiles as she tells him that he would be a amazed at what people dump into the water. An instant later, the prisoners are using the exo-skeleton armor to battle alongside Alpha Flight, and eventually the robots are taken down. ‘Well that was…infrickingcredible!’ one of the prisoner calls out. Mac turns to Walter and asks him if he has the samples they need. Walt stands with a cart, some metals in it. ‘You bet. Although I think you already know where this stuff came from…’ Walter replies. ‘Makes two of us’ Marrina mutters.
Mac tells everyone that the enemy will have reinforcements on the way, and holding up a remote, announces that he will be controlling their jet boots by the remote. ‘Where - where are we going?’ the leader of the opposition asks, concerned. ‘Underground!’ Mac replies, but the opposition leader tells him that they need to tell Parliament. As the heroes and the prisoners make their way down into the tunnels, Puck, riding on the back of the opposition leader’s armor exclaims ‘Don’t know if you noticed, Mister Leader of the Opposition…but you just joined the revolution!’ ‘Oh dear’ mutters the leader. Northstar calls out to Mac, ‘Wait…we can’t go…not until…’, but Mac tells him not to worry, announcing that they are taking their country back. ‘And that includes finding Kyle…no matter where they’ve got him’.
At that moment, ‘Kyle Jinadu?’ a voice calls out. ‘Uh…yes?’ Northstar’s boyfriend replies as he sits up in some sort of laboratory. ‘How do you feel?’ the voice asks. Kyle looks down and replies that he feels like he never has before. ‘Hard to remember…was there something wrong with -?’ he asks. The voice informs him that he was horribly injured and dying. ‘But Unity rebuilt you’ the voice explains, telling Kyle that his body was stripped of every bone, muscle and organ. ‘Even your brain’. The voice tells Kyle that his body parts were then reassembled into perfect unity with his technology, which thrives throughout the entire complex. ‘I went through the process myself, a long, long time ago - awake. And I swore to spare my fellow earthmen the same agony’ the voice calls out.
Kyle smiles and turns to the sound of the voice, replying ‘I…I don’t know how to thank you. Please, let me do something for you - anything - Mister -’ his voice trails off. ‘I have gone by many names, Kyle’ the voice replies. Kyle sees six figures emerge from the shadows - the ancient Ranark the Ravager, the adamantium-laced Citadel, Kara Kilgrave a.k.a. the Purple Woman, a large Wendigo, holding onto Heather’s baby, and … ‘You may call me the MASTER OF THE WORLD. And now, to show your gratitude…and save your country…you and Alpha Strike will deliver Northstar to me!’ Alpha Flight’s diabolical foe declares….


[User]
<image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image>
Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
The Last Refuge
“Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel” - Dr Samuel Johnson.
Downtown Toronto, where flags depicting the image of Canada’s Prime Minister, Gary Cody, are strung up between buildings, and a grateful citizens of Canada are cheering Alpha Strike’s Citadel, who marches down a busy street, flanked by an army of Department H soldiers. Civilians wave at Citadel, while a reporter announces that this is day one of the Unity Party’s “Victory Over Fear” celebrations. Several white birds fly over the parade, while the reporter declares that thanks to Prime Minister Gary Cody, Canada’s true heroes have saved the nation from mystical invaders, and beat back the threat of the domestic terrorists known as Alpha Flight.
One of the white birds flies past several “wanted” posters depicting the heroes of Alpha Fligth, and goes into an alley, where the bird suddenly transforms into the goddess Narya - a.k.a. Alpha Flight’s Snowbird. ‘All clear, Guardian!’ Snowbird tells James “Mac” MacDonald Hudson, who thanks Snowbird, while Aurora a.k.a. Jeanne-Marie Beaubier and Eugene Milton Judd a.k.a. Puck stare out at the celebration. Aurora mutters ‘Everyone loves a parade, oui?’ while Snowbird frowns and declares that it is sickening. ‘I could understand them running to Cody when the Asgardian Fear God was ensorcelling the planet…but now there’s no excuse’. Snowbird begins to add ‘I don’t know why we even -’, but Guardian tells her ‘Enough’ and points out that they have seen that people only need a little inspiration to fight back. ‘That’s why we’re here’ he exclaims.
The heroes approach a door down the alley and Mac announces that it is time to see if Puck’s friend is on time. ‘Oh, don’t worry. He’s always on time…but you’re using “friend” kinda loosely, eh’ Judd declares as he leaps into the air, dodging the sword that is brought down by the Taskmaster! ‘Hiya, Judd’ the Taskmaster calls out as he tries to take down Puck. The diminutive Alphan keeps ahead of the skilled marksman and tells hi that he is losing his edge. ‘The Taskmaster I knew in Rhodesia woulda shaved off some skull with that bushwhack!’ Judd points out. ‘What can I say? We’re all getting older…’ the Taskmaster points out, before smacking Judd in the side with his shield. ‘But you still lead with that move ninety-six percent of the time’ the Taskmaster adds.
‘And about seventy percent of the time - you follow up with this’ the Taskmaster declares as he flips around and kicks Puck in the back. ‘So that’s what it feels like’ Puck smiles, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Puck, just say the word’ Snowbird tells her companion as she stands ready to take down the Taskmaster, but Puck assures her that he has this one under control. Judd leaps straight up, while the Taskmaster holds his sword ready. ‘Mister “Photographic Reflexes” here may be able to copy my fighting style - but not even he can “learn” to be one meter tall!’ Judd exclaims as he turns his body into a ball and hurls himself at the Taskmaster, knocking him to the ground.
The Taskmaster reaches for his gun, but the holster is empty. ‘Don’t mind if I borrow this, do you?’ Judd asks, holding the weapon. The Taskmaster asks if he could have it back for a second, as there is something he wants to do with it. ‘What? It’s right here. Go ahead. Just reach out…and take it’ Judd tells his associate. The Taskmaster stares back at Judd, ‘Why you half-pint, sawed-off, peewee mini-me son of a -’ he begins, before grinning wickedly, ‘- magnificent bastard!’ the Taskmaster shouts as he sits up and kneels beside Judd, throwing an arm around his shoulders. ‘This guy – I mean, seriously. Am I right? This guy!’ the Taskmaster laughs.
‘Does this mean they’re not going to kill each other?’ Aurora frowns. ‘Apparently. Sorry to disappoint’ Mac whispers back. Taskmaster stands up and reminds Judd that he is not one for skipping down memory lane. ‘“The Hub” says you got a job for me - but your file says you almost always do your own fighting’ the Taskmaster remarks. Guardian steps forward and tells him that it is his experience as a trainer of fighters that they require. Guardian informs the Taskmaster they have a war on their hands, but that Department H has trained soldiers. Mac reveals that their “army” is comprised of a bunch of college professors, scientists, activists and journalists, all freed from an internment camp. ‘We want to turn them into a force to be reckoned with’ Mac explains. The Taskmaster rubs his thumb and index finger together and declares that he wants to get paid, and that the last he heard, Alpha Flight lost their cushy government jobs. ‘Never fear, Tasky. Your old buddy Judd’s got you covered’ Puck assures him.
Shortly, inside the Bank of Canada. ‘Everybody down! This is a stick-up!’ Puck shouts with a commanding voice. Mac, Snowbird and Aurora stand behind him, but when no staff, customers or security guards move, Snowbird begins to shift her form, as she declares ‘Didn’t you hear the man? He said… ROOWWW!’ as she transforms into a large dinosaur. ‘Gaahh!’ a customer cries out. ‘Whoa!’ another exclaims. Mac tells Snowbird and Aurora that this branch of the Central Bank holds all the government’s cash and gold in the greater Toronto area. ‘Grab as much as you can while Judd and I guard the entrance’ Mac tells them, as he uses his electromagnetic blast to fry the gun that is being held by a security guard. Judd forces a man in a suit to the ground and cuffs his hands behind his back. ‘How dare you wear that flag? You might as well be spitting on it every second it touches your skin, you stinking piece of -’ the man begins, but Guardian replies ‘I represent the real Canada’.
Guardian speaks to a security camera which is fixed to the wall in front of him, and announces that the Treasury is the lifeblood of Gary Cody’s Unity regime - bankrolling the stifling of dissent, the imprisonment of the innocent and the broadcast of lies. ‘So Alpha Flight is starving the beast!’ Mac declares. Judd points out a nearby window, ‘Look’ he tells Mac. ‘I see’ Mac replies, as Citadel and a platoon of Department H soldiers stand out the front of the building. ‘They have us surrounded…but they’re not making a move’ Mac remarks, explaining that they want to get as much footage as they can of Alpha Flight acting like crooks. ‘They think they’re giving us plenty of rope to hang ourselves with. Well…we’ll see who hangs who’ Mac exclaims, while beneath his adamantium casing, Citadel narrows his eyes.
At the vault, several security guards rapidly fire their weapons, but the bullets simply bounce off Snowbird’s godly form. Aurora skulks against a nearby wall, and Snowbird tells her to stop cowering, pointing out that she could easily snatch their guns away with her super speed. ‘I - I don’t know - I’ve never - there are so many -’ Aurora utters. ‘You are talking nonsense. What has happened to you?’ Snowbird asks, before her eyes suddenly glow ice-white, and she addresses the security guards: ‘Mortals. Heed the words of the earthly champion of the Inua…the Gods of the North whose sacred lands you have entombed beneath obscenities of concrete and steel‘ Snowbird begins.
‘All your weapons do is annoy me. But if you continue to defy me…I promise you will see my wrath’ Snowbird warns them. The men look concerned, and lower their weapons, they lay on the floor and place their hands over their heads. ‘Good’ Narya declares as she walks past them towards the vault, transforming into the mighty albino Sasquatch, she then rips the large vault door from the wall, telling the guards that they are smarter than they look.
Judd opens the door to the bank and calls out to Citadel: ‘Hey, bullethead! I was locked up with you long enough in Department H to know your politics are to the left of Noam Chomsky’s!’, before asking him what he is doing working for “the man”. ‘You’re nothing but adamantium-plated sell-out!’ Puck exclaims. Citadel begins to walk towards the bank, when a Department H soldier steps forward, ‘Don’t make me yank your leash - Cody said not to move until the TV cameras arrive’ the soldier reminds Citadel, who promptly shoves the soldier to one side, remarking that he doesn’t see Cody here. Citadel speeds towards Puck, breaking his way through the bank wall. Just seconds before Citadel would slam into Puck, the agile Alphan flips upwards and over Citadel. ‘Mac! All yours!’ Judd tells Mac, who fires an electromagnetic blast at his opponent.
‘Getting desperate, traitor? Your electromagnetic light show can’t pierce my exo-skeleton!’ Citadel boasts. ‘True. But I can magnetize it’ Mac replies, and in doing so, the vault door is flung through the bank, and slams into Citadel, knocking him over. An instant later, ‘That was quick’ Judd remarks to Snowbird and Aurora, who enter the main area of the bank. ‘Naturally’ Aurora replies in French, while Snowbird has transformed herself into a moose, carrying sacks of money and gold. Judd radios the Taskmaster, asking him if he is getting all of this. From a rooftop nearby, the Taskmaster is indeed observing Alpha Flight, and replies that it is got, as Judd shows him the gold in the sacks. The Taskmaster congratulates his associate. ‘Your revolutionary army just bought itself the best damn drill sergeant in the business’ he declares. Judd replies that it is time for their graceful exit, and asks him if anyone saw him plant the charges.
‘Aw, that cuts, buddy. Has it really been that long?’ the Taskmaster asks, before pressing a detonator. ‘They never see my plant the charges’ the Taskmaster boasts. An instant later, the bank explodes, causing the Department H soldiers to move backwards away from the flames. Nearby, Mac, Snowbird, Aurora, Judd and the Taskmaster climb down a hole which leads to a tunnel. Waiting at the bottom is Marrina. With the gold in hand, Mac asks her to lead them on to Lake Ontario, announcing that once night falls, they will slip back to base. ‘Yeah? Well, maybe I wont!’ Marrina retorts. ‘What? Why not?’ Mac asks her. Clutching her hair, the alien shouts ‘Because you guys totally robbed a bank and didn’t invite me! WTF?!?’
Later, at Alpha Flight base camp, in the Saint Elias Mountains, Yukon. Mac hands the sacks of gold to one of Alpha Flight’s supporters, while Michael “Shaman” Twoyoungmen hovers overhead, and Walter Langkowski and Jean-Paul “Northstar” Beaubier are busy with various equipment. ‘Nicely done, boss’ Walt congratulates Mac. Mac thanks his friend, and asks if there is any progress here. Walt replies that he has been studying the alien tech from the Am-Can mining camp. Marrina steps forward and ask Walter if he thinks that it is Plodex. ‘My freaking alien species, ruining everything all over again’ she mutters. ‘Yyyeah…’ Walt replies. ‘So, what, I’m a sleeper agent and this tech’s gonna wake me up so I can kill you all in your beds?’ Marrina asks. Walt looks horrified, and adjusts his glasses, remarking that had not occurred to him. ‘Heh’ Jean-Paul smiles, while Guardian tells everyone to focus.
Holographic images of the Master of the World and Vindicator appear on a dial, and Walter declares that Plodex tech is the calling-card of their old nemesis, the Master of the World, so his involvement in Unity is all but guaranteed. Walt points out that does not explain how they have managed to turn so many of their friends against them. ‘Uh…speaking of which’ Marrina exclaims, motioning to a monitor, which depicts an announcement by Kyle Jinadu, the boyfriend of Northstar. Everyone turns to the monitor, where Kyle, sporting a tidy, cut-back hairstyle, announces via press conference that he believed in Alpha Flight with all his heart and soul, but that it has become abundantly clear that they are not just traitors, but common criminals. ‘I’m sorry, Northstar’ Guardian tells Jean-Paul, who tells him not to be, as they would never have gotten the real Kyle to submit to a haircut like that.
Mac tells Northstar that he doesn’t need to put on a brave face to him, and reminds Northstar that whatever happened to Kyle was also done to his wife, who in all likelihood is now in possession of his child. ‘I know exactly how you feel. So I’m asking you…be patient’ Mac tells Northstar, who points at Mac and tells him not to be patronizing. ‘If I was going to blitz into a trap this obvious on some misguided rescue attempt, you’d be watching me on that screen right now’ he declares. Kyle’s announcement continues, as the young man declares that he has one last word for Northstar, ‘A.K.A. my former lover…you’ve betrayed me and this beautiful country in every way imaginable. And I will laugh the day they shoot you in the head’ he states with conviction.
Northstar turns and walks away in silence. Mac watches him leave, while Aurora hugs herself as she leans against a tree. Shaman and Snowbird approach Guardian, and Shaman suggests to Mac that they tell Northstar what Snowbird told them. ‘No. We’ve only got one shot at this, and -’ Mac begins, before he is punched in the side and knocked to the ground. ‘What the devil?’ he gasps, spinning around and charging his electromagnetic field. ‘I did it! Alice Hu knocked out Guardian!’ the reporter wearing the Groundhog armor exclaims as she strands over Guardian. The Taskmaster laughs and declares that he has here to train these losers - to turn a bunch of eggheads and desk jockeys into soldiers. ‘And the only way you nerds are gonna step up is if you remember one thing…fighting is fun!’ the Taskmaster exclaims.
‘WAHOO!’ Alice shouts as she is knocked back by Guardian. The Taskmaster declares that they are going to move this into the woods, to work on some stealth maneuvers. ‘That’s the really sweet stuff’ he exclaims. ‘Didn’t come on to hard, did I?’ Mac asks as he helps Alice up. ‘Hey. Whatever you got…I can take it’ Alice smiles, while Mac’s jaw drops when Alice touches his butt. Nearby, Walt and Aurora are leaning against the tree, watching the goings-on. Walt smiles at Aurora and remarks that was pretty saucy of Alice. ‘But I guess in time of crisis, lots of people let their passions…run away’ Walt exclaims - and that is just what Aurora does - run away at super speed. ‘Smooth’ Judd calls out as he walks past. ‘Shut up’ Walt tells him.
Meantime, at Department H headquarters, beneath Parliament Hill, Ottawa. Director Jeff Brown races after Prime Minister Gary Cody, announcing that the insta-polls are in, and that Kyle is testing through the roof. ‘People love an as kicker’ Jeff declares, adding that overtime they play back the bank tape, Guardian’s numbers fall another three points. ‘Of course. We’ve broken him’ Gary smiles as he looks at the poll results. The Prime Minister adds that the people know leaders don’t whine, and that despair and weakness at Guardian’s core has finally collapsed into hollow speechmaking. Suddenly, ‘Sounds familiar’ the Master of the World announces as he and Heather McNeil Hudson a.k.a. Vindicator step out of the shadows. The Master asks Vindicator what is really going on here, to which Heather replies everything her husband is doing plays right into their hands.
‘Which worries you’ the Prime Minister states. ‘Of course. My husband is a genius’ Heather declares, adding that he is up to something, and they need to figure out what before they make any serious move. The Master agrees, and boasts that he will not allow mankind’s chance at ascendancy to be ruined by overconfidence on their part. Suddenly, an alarm sounds, and a computer announces that there is an unauthorized breach. The breach is none other than Aurora, who comes to a halt near Director Brown. ‘Aurora!’ he exclaims, but the young woman scowls and replies ‘Never call me that. My name is Jeanne-Marie Beaubier. Aurora is…a sickness. A symptom of childhood trauma, which I demand be excised’.
Jeanne-Marie looks pained, and she announces that she will tell them the location of Alpha Flight’s base, as soon as they turn on their machines and burn every last vestige of Aurora out of her soul. ‘Good plan’ the Master smiles as he approaches Aurora. ‘Let’s make sure you honor it’ the Master exclaims, as Kara Kilgrave a.k.a. the Purple Woman steps behind Aurora, and wraps her arms around her, using her pheromone power, she tells Jeanne-Marie to relax. ‘No one can resist the Purple Woman’ Kara utters seductively.
Caged inside Jeanne-Marie’s mind, the Aurora persona slams against a brick wall. ‘Jeanne-Marie! You fool! You’ll get us both killed!’ Aurora screams, when suddenly, Shaman’s astral form appears alongside her, telling his teammate to calm herself. He states that her other half has her trapped in this psychic prison, but that he is with her. Aurora hangs her head and tells Shaman that she is sorry, as she felt Jeanne-Marie growing stronger, but that she thought she could control her. Shaman tells Aurora that it is all right, for if she told them, Jeanne-Marie would have known, and the team would not have the opportunity.
‘Opportunity?’ Aurora asks. Shaman tells Aurora that this isn’t’ fair, and informs her that it is the most dangerous strategy imaginable, and that the risk is all on her shoulders. Aurora listens intently as Shaman tells her that without it, all of Alpha Flight, and maybe even the whole country, will be doomed….


[User]
<image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image>
Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
A Murder of Crows
‘…and we’re back on “Wake Up, Edmonton” with Department H spokesman Kyle Jinadu!’ the host of the morning show announces as he and Kyle sit on blue sofa in the studio. The host asks Kyle to tell the viewers the number of the toll-free hotline for reporting suspicious activity. ‘1-555-Unity-Now’ Kyle replies, adding that it is not just for Alpha Flight sightings, ‘But we take those too!’ he exclaims. The host smiles and tells Kyle that he has a tough question for him: ‘You actually…roomed with a member of Alpha Flight’ he states. ‘Yes. Jean-Paul Beaubier a.k.a. Northstar’ Kyle replies. ‘Well. I mean, what…how…’ the host remarks. Kyle calls the host Blake and tells him that these terrorists deceived all of them, and then did everything they could to destroy them all. ‘I ended up in a body cast. And I swore I wouldn’t let them to that to the rest of this great country’ Kyle announces.
Walking off stage, Blake tells Kyle that he did a bang up job, and asks if there are any national posts opening up. ‘Feeling kinda underutilized out here’ Blake explains, to which Kyle tells him to be grateful for the quiet. Kyle adds that the Prime Minister would not have assigned Alpha Strike to protect him if the situation wasn’t deadly serious. Blake tells Kyle that if was that rough Department H would have sent one of the heavy-hitters. ‘Not that freaky-looking chick you got -’ Blake begins, before he is interrupted by a voice that calls out ‘Sorry, what’s that?’ Blake turns and sees standing in the shadows Kara Kilgrave a.k.a. Purple Woman. ‘I didn’t mean anything but it, I just -’ he begins, but Kara declares ‘I’m the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen’, putting Blake under her control. ‘My - my God. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen’ Blake declares. ‘You really want to go get me a coffee’ Purple Woman orders. Blake smiles and addressing her as “Miss Kilgrave” tells the Purple Woman that it would be a huge honor and would make his day.
Inside a coffee shop, ‘Careful, you moron! Just a touch of cream, I said!’ Blake snaps at the kid behind the counter, who looks petrified as Blake holds a knife to his face. ‘Now the sugar! Screw this up and I’ll !@#$%^ kill you’ Blake warns him. Holding the takeaway coffee in a tray as he marches out the door, Blake whistles, and walks straight onto a busy road. ‘Watch it, ya -’ someone calls out. ‘Stupid idiot!’ another shouts as he swerves to miss Blake, but crashes into another car. A large truck honks its horn as Blake strolls in front of the truck, blissfully unaware of the impending danger. Suddenly, a large white owl swoops down and picks Blake up, taking him into the air, he drops the coffee. ‘Coffee! Noooo!’ he shouts, before the white owl drops him down on a nearby rooftop.
Still under the influence of the Purple Woman’s power, Blake sees Michael “Shaman” Twoyoungmen standing on the rooftop, and shouts ‘I’ll kill you, you dirt bags! You hear me? You’re dead!’ but Shaman tells him to shush. As a murder of crows flies overhead, Shaman pulls from his medicine pouch a vial of “waters of clear sight”, thinking they should cure host of Purple Woman’s control. Blake’s skin returns to its regular color, and as realizes Shaman is standing in front of him gasps ‘Alpha Flight? Oh God - help! Help!’, while the crows continue to circle overhead. ‘Oh, sure…I’m the scary one’ Shaman mutters, as the murder of crows suddenly takes the form of Ranark the Ravager!
Blake holds his nose at the stench, while the giant white owl perches behind Shaman. Ranark with his long bony fingers turns and declares ‘Shaman of the Two-Young-Men - and all betrayers of their clan!’ Ranark announces that he bears greetings from his masters, the Great Beasts of the North. ‘In their name, they command me to eat thy heart’ Ranark tells Shaman. Ranark’s form takes on a more solid appearance and he curses Shaman with the icy touch of Tundra, beast of the land. ‘Soon your flayed skin shall line my medicine pouch!’ Ranark boasts as he fires ice shards at Shaman, who reaches into his medicine pouch and utters ‘Skyfather’s light…mocks the power of your Beasts, Ranark!’ as Shaman surrounds himself in a ring of fire. ‘Thou cravest light, blasphemer? Embrace Tolomaq, beast of fire!’ Ranark booms as energy surrounds him.
The giant owl moves backwards, away from the energy, when suddenly, Wendigo lunges up the side of the building, howling its name, it grabs the owl by its ankle, forcing the owl to revert to its true form - that of the elegant goddess Narya, better known as Snowbird. ‘So, the Beasts’ slave has brought beasts of his own’ Snowbird remarks, before warning the Wendigo that she has defeated him, single-handedly, once before, and will happily do so again. With that, Snowbird uses her incredible strength to punch the Wendigo in the face before it has a chance to climb onto the roof.
Back inside the studio, Kyle is about tot head out the door, when Kara tells him to wait. ‘That noise. You don’t think -’ he begins, to which Kara announcers that their mole didn’t lie, and tells Kyle that Alpha Flight is going for the grab now. ‘Make way!’ Kara shouts as she grabs Kyle and races back onto the set, standing in front of another announcer, Kara addresses the audience: ‘We interrupt this broadcast for an important news bulletin: You are all coming with me!’ Kara utters as she puts the audience under her control.
Up above, Wendigo lunges onto the rooftop and slams a fist down, roaring, however Snowbird leaps back and dodges his attack, while ripping a chunk of concrete up, she holds it towards him. At that moment, Kara orders the crowd under her control to keep moving, while Kyle exclaims ‘Northstar’s coming, isn’t he? I want a gun’. Kara tells him to shut up, but Kyle states again that he wants a gun. On the rooftop, Shaman creates a small storm over Ranark, who releases energy towards Shaman and shouts ‘By Kariooq the Corruptor, thy bones will become as brittle as spring ice, and -’, but he is stopped in his tracks by the storm.
Kara, Kyle and the controlled audience members arrive outside, and Kara tells Kyle that, for a smart guy, he is pretty dense. ‘Unity doesn’t give a damn what you want. They sent you on this nationwide PR buzz as a giant middle finger to Alpha Flight’. ‘All I want to do is protect my adopted country -’ Kyle remarks, but Kara tells him that he is not a hero, that he is simply bait. ‘And these tools actually bit’ Kara mutters. Suddenly, ‘Catchphrase!’ Marrina, the alien member of Alpha Flight, exclaims as she bursts up through a drain hole in the ground, knocking Kara over.
‘Wha-’ Kara begins. ‘I gotta spell it out?’ Marrina asks, before punching Purple Woman in the face, while next out through the drain hole is a large orange squid. ‘What the devil -’ Kyle begins, while Marrina wraps an arm around Kyle’s neck and declares ‘Oh, it’s just a cephalopod. I dragged him all the way from the Pacific. He seems really ticked about it, for some reason’. Marrina tells Kyle that it is time to get him back in the arms of his main man, Jean-Paul. ‘So I can kill him!’ ‘Ooh. Kinky’ Marrina remarks.
‘Come, Snowbird! Our work here is done!’ Shaman calls out as he stands behind the Alpha Strike members Ranark and Wendigo. Narya tells Shaman to go, as she transforms herself into a swarm of insects, avoiding Wendigo’s lunge, she flutters around Ranark’s face, distracting him. ‘NO!’ Ranark shouts, before casting forth a large surge of energy, knocking Shaman back and causing Snowbird to revert to her default form, as they land hard on the rooftop. Ranark’s energy is cast downward, and knocks Marrina and Kyle aside, enabling Kyle to run free from Marrina. ‘Ha! So long, freak!’ Kyle calls out. Marrina calls him an idiot and tells him to watch out - as a nearby motorcycle explodes.
Nearby, Citadel stands with a car held high into the air, while Purple Woman tries in vain to hold him back. ‘Alpha Strike’s objective is to protect Jinadu!’ Kara reminds Citadel, who announces that there is a new directive - Kyle is expendable. ‘What? I told you I needed a gun!’ Kyle exclaims as Marrina grabs a hold of him once again. Citadel tells Kyle not to beat himself up about it, as the gun wouldn’t have helped much, before he throws the car towards Marrina and Kyle. ‘Stupid stupid - woohoo!’ Marrina shouts as she and Kyle are picked up and taken into the air before the car harms them. ‘Thanks for the lift, Aurora!’ Marrina tells Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, who replies ‘But of course’. ‘Hey, handsome’ Northstar smiles at Kyle, who looks concerned. ‘Wha-’ Kyle mutters, before Northstar kisses his lips. ‘Mmm…remember me?’ Northstar asks. ‘Wow’ Kyle utters, wide-eyed, rubbing his head. Northstar just smiles.
Meantime, at Department H, Ottawa, Director Jeff Brown strides down a corridor, ‘Master! Alpha Flight’s escaped - with Jinadu!’ Brown shouts out, alerting the Master of the World to the crisis. ‘Don’t worry, Agent Brown. Unity now…unity forever’ the aster replies cryptically as he gazes out a window.
Back soaring across the sky, Marrina clings to the back of Aurora and calls out to Northstar, asking him if he is okay, while Kyle struggles in Northstar’s arms, shouting ‘You traitor! Terrorist!’, as Jean-Paul tells him to calm down. ‘You’re still under the influence…but we’re going to - ow. Ouch. Kyle - uff!’ Northstar mutters as Kyle continues to struggle and punch Northstar.
‘What happened?’ asks Heather McNeil Hudson a.k.a. Vindicator as the Master of the World enters the nursery where Canada’s most faithful hero sits with her daughter, Claire. The Master tells Heather that the trustworthiness of their mole was verified. ‘We can count on Aurora’s “Jeanne-Marie” personality in the future. When it matters’ he explains. ‘It always matters. You should have let me join them, We could have crushed their little resistance once and for -’ Heather begins, before the Master interrupts her: ‘Hush, Heather…you don’t want to agitate the baby’ he declares, while Claire utters ‘Fahtruck!’ as she plays with a toy fire truck.
The Master kneels down beside Heather and her daughter, and reminds Heather that the baby needs to be perfectly calm for the procedure to work the way they desire. ‘Have you…discussed things with her?’ the Master enquires. ‘Fahtruck’ the girl utters again. ‘Not…not yet’ Heather tells the Master, who asks her ‘You want this, don’t you?’, and Heather replies that of course she does, adding that everything she has done has been for her daughter - for this. ‘Claire, who loves you?’ the Master asks, putting the girl on his knee. Claire looks up at the Master and frowns as only a child could, before replying ‘Mamma. Wen’go. Unca Masta’. ‘That’s right. And you shall soon embark on a very special trip. I trip I went on myself…’ the Master tells her, his voice trailing off.
Flashback images, circa 40,000 years ago, narrated in the present by the Master:
The Master reveals that about forty thousand years ago he was a dirty, hairy man who lived in a cave with lots of other dirty, hairy people. But he didn’t like it. So, he did what any superior person should do, and took what he wanted from the others. However, weaklings, when united, can be annoyingly strong, so he set off on his own, walking through snow and ice that would have killed any lesser man, until he found his destiny. He did not have the words then to describe what he saw, but even as the fallen, alien space craft seized him, even as its lacerating tentacles flayed the skin and muscles from his bones, and even as it broke him down and rebuilt him, cell by cell, he knew that here was where he belonged.
Present:
The Master explains that the aliens who sent that ship hoped to create monsters to destroy humanity, but instead they created this planet’s savior. ‘For the Master of the World has seized the technology that made him - and perfected it!’ he boasts, adding that soon he will perfect all of the human race, and lead them to their rightful place as conquerors of the universe. ‘Fahtruck?’ Claire asks, looking up at the Master.
Meantime, at Alpha Flight’s base camp, at the Sain Elias Mountains in the Yukon, a member of the Alpha Flight Resistance called Rita is tending to Snowbird’s wounds, while Shaman hovers behind them. She tells Shaman that he needs to rest, and adds that magical meditation does not count. Shaman calls the woman Rita and tells her that Ranark is stronger than he ever knew, and that if he lets the mystic shielding fall, Ranark will find them in seconds. Standing nearby, Dr Walter Langkowski remarks to James “Mac” MacDonald Hudson a.k.a. Guardian that at least they are in one piece. ‘Barely. I should have gone with them, Walt’ Mac tells his friend. ‘You think I don’t miss smashing things up, too?’ Walt asks, referring to his current inability to transform into Sasquatch. Walt points out that they don’t have much time, and for their plan to work, the team needed their two big brains here, building the little miracle mystery machine. They both look up at a massive mechanical contraption.
Inside one of the tents, Kyle sits on a stretcher, his hands tied behind his back. ‘And you call us fascists’ he mutters. Northstar holds an ice-pack to his own face and tells Kyle that he is sorry. ‘Yeah, well…I did kind of lose it a bit there, didn’t I?’ Kyle replies. He hangs his head and tells Jean-Paul that he is sorry, explaining that it is like there is a voice in his head that is shouting all the time - all this Unity garbage. ‘And then I look at you…and I can almost remember…who I really am’ Kyle smiles. Jean-Paul sits down beside Kyle and tells him that everything is going to be all right. ‘Walt and Mac are on it. You just have to trust them to -’ he begins, before Kyle shouts ‘Ha!’ and head-butts Northstar by shoving his skull against Jean-Paul’s, knocking Northstar over.
‘Traitors! All of you!’ Kyle shouts as he rushes out of the tent, running past two of Alpha Flight’s supporters. Kyle stops dead in his tracks however when Snowbird, transformed into a large woolly mammoth appears before him. ‘AGGGH!’ Kyle screams, before being lifted up as the Snowbird grabs him in the mammoth’s trunk. ‘You all right?’ Mac asks Northstar as exits the tent, rubbing his head. ‘I’m fine’ Northstar mutters as he looks at Kyle, struggling to break free of Snowbird’s hold, his shoes even fall off. ‘Don’t worry, Jean-Paul. You’re reaching him. You can see it in his eyes. Can’t fake that’ Mac declares, adding that they will bring him back. ‘Yes. And Heather, too’ Jean-Paul replies, the two men looking sincerely at each other. ‘Heather?’ Mac asks. ‘Yeah, Heather, too’ Mac whispers, hanging his head. Suddenly, Walt calls out to them, ‘I hate to break it to you…’ he begins, as he grabs the struggling Kyle’s leg. ‘Leggo, you dirty monsters!’ Kyle protests. ‘…but this Unity thing might be a little more complicated than we thought. Count the toes’ Walt declares as he holds up Kyle’s foot - with only four toes!
Meantime, at the US / Canadian border. Border patrol officers walk amongst the queues of cars lined up. ‘Hey, what’s the hold up?’ someone calls out as they step out of their car. One of the officers orders them back into the car, while another speaks through a megaphone and announces that due to a credible threat detected by Canadian anti-terrorism agencies, the Prime Minister has issued an emergency degree. ‘Effective immediately, no Americans will be allowed to cross the border!’ he orders. While some cars turn around and drive away, one pulls right up to the patrol officer. ‘You deaf, bub? Turn it around!’ the officer calls out. But the driver of the car replies that it is all right, and holds up his Canadian passport. ‘I’m coming home’ announces Logan - a.k.a. Wolverine!


[User]
<image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image><image>
Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Re-Union
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!’