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Turn Again, Turn Again, Time in Thy Flight ...
Fort Calgary, at the restoration site of the original Fort Calgary, where currently, mystic forces are running rampant, though under the control of Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen, a.k.a. Shaman of Alpha Flight, who is preparing a spell to journey to the past to stop a demon. Standing watching her old friend, Alpha Flight’s leader, the non-powered, non-costumed Heather McNeil Hudson comments to the diminutive Puck, or Eugene Judd, that they arrived to join in the fun just in time. Judd jokes that he wishes Sarcee were one of the seventeen languages he spoke, as he would love to know what Shaman is saying.
Twoyoungmen’s sultry daughter, Elizabeth glances away from the glare of the magicks as she thinks to herself that she has known her father is the “Super-hero” known as shaman, but knowing it and being able to comprehend what it means are beginning to be two very different things. She recalls that one week ago she was an art college student with no more interest in the occult than reading her horoscope, but now, in rapid succession, she has been the only witness to the escape of a vengeful spirit. She has seen her father battle a monster apparently created by that phantom, and found herself with power, enough power to counter the force of a creature called Ranaq the Devourer, who had possessed an innocent young woman.
Elizabeth looks over at her father, still chanting his spell, she was told by him that defeating Ranaq was just the beginning and that now they have to journey one hundred years into the past to stop whatever it was that started this mess! Shaman’s spell begins to come to an end, and as he proclaims their journey can be made, Heather asks him why he sounds disappointed by that. Michael tells Heather that that is how he feels, because in his heart he hoped that the destruction of Ranaq had so dissipated the evil that the portal would have closed, but it is not the case.
Shaman proclaims that whatever act it was that set the sequence in motion, it is still vital, still active and capable of striking again. Standing at his side, Judd suggests to Shaman that this is possibly because Lucas Stang is still alive and that he and his great-granddaughter seem to be the focus of all this. Sham agrees, as it was through the granddaughter – Emily Stang – that Ranaq manifested, and Stang himself demonstrated arcane powers. Twoyoungmen believes that this disturbance is tied to something Stang did when he was a youth, one hundred years ago – something so unspeakably evil, a heinous pact with forces not of this world.
Impatient, Elizabeth suggests to her father that they should get going before some other matter interrupts them. Michael is surprised by the fire within his daughter and wonders if she could possibly be the one that was foretold – suddenly, Alpha Flight do receive an interruption, by their ice-maiden member Snowbird. The goddess orders Shaman not to make his move yet, as this matter concerns her more than anyone else, for Ranaq the Devourer was one of the Great Beasts who she was set upon the Earth to destroy. Startled, Narya invokes the name of her Grandfather and landing in front of Elizabeth, she kneels before her.
Calling Elizabeth “the Promised One”, Snowbird announces she is ready to do what she commands. As Elizabeth looks at Snowbird as if she is crazy, Heather’s mouth drops open at seeing Snowbird bowing down before another, for Snowbird acknowledges the superiority of no mere mortal…. But Shaman is equally surprised at this and realizes that it must be true, the prophecy of three hundred generations has been realized finally – in his daughter!
Judd asks Twoyoungmen what is going on, and Shaman replies that an ancient and terrible prophecy is being fulfilled – that his daughter is the embodiment of a great powerful force for good – the Breaker of Dark Spells, the “One who binds all evil”. Elizabeth looks at her father as if he has gone mad too, and he asks her to reach into his medicine pouch, for if the evidence is true, then she alone will be able to draw the Coronet of Enchantment from it.
Elizabeth Twoyoungmen stands somewhat confused by all of this, and she looks into the eyes of her father, before she draws the draws the medicine pouch. Looking into it, Elizabeth sees nothing, she turns it upside down, and nothing falls out. Shaman gasps, for this is more proof of Elizabeth’s power, as no mortal could look into the bag without risking insanity, not even himself. Shaman urges Elizabeth to try. Elizabeth complies, but tells her father that she doesn’t know what he expects her to find – perhaps a golden tiara like the one she draws from the bag?
Shaman urges Elizabeth to quickly place it upon her brow, and she does so, and almost instantly there is an electric change in the compounds, for a moment, there seems to be the sound of rushing waters, and beyond, in the horizon, distant thunder rolls. Elizabeth is bathed in a golden glow, her hair flows up behind her, and with equal suddenness, everything goes quiet, and Elizabeth Twoyoungmen is transformed, now garbed in a flowing red and yellow costume.
Heather asks her former charge if she feels okay, and Elizabeth replies that she feels more alive than she ever has. Admiring her new outfit, Elizabeth asks her father what he was saying about this being part of an ancient and terrible prophecy. She wonders what is so terrible, and Shaman announces that there is no time to explain at the moment, for presently, she has received a great gift and must now put it to use. Heather asks Twoyoungmen if he is really going back into the past, adding that she wishes she could come, but with her leg wounded still, she wouldn’t be much of an asset to the team.
Judd smiles as he tells Heather that sometimes it falls to a leader to stay behind and worry, but as for him, time travel is one of the few things he has yet to try! Shaman urges Judd to stand close as he is about to open the portal, which can only stay open for one second. He tells Narya and Elizabeth to be ready, and when he gives the word, they all jump through the portal.
A moment which cannot be measured. A time without time, a place without dimension. Eternity is a heartbeat. Infinity in the blinking of an eye. What is, is not. What was will be. What will be never was.
Snowbird and Elizabeth glide gracefully to the ground, while Shaman and Judd fall. Elizabeth is surprised they made it through – to exactly the same place they were standing, only a century earlier. The thriving metropolis is gone, as Calgary 1884 is barely a shadow of what it will become. Judd uses his incredible agility to dodge a puddle just as the town constable approaches the motley contingent of heroes. He asks them where they all came from, somewhat in shock at seeing their brightly colored costumes, Shaman quickly uses a spell, to make the constable see them dressed otherwise.
Twoyoungmen asks if there is a problem, and the confused constable replies that there isn't, before Shaman and the others move on. Assuming leadership, Twoyoungmen urges the others to be quick, as they need to get out of sight, for he fears the masking spell he used may have created clothing that was out of date for a contemporary observer. Elizabeth smiles now that she understood what her father did to the constable, as she was wondering why he was quick to let them go, she thought her father just messed with the constable’s head.
Snowbird watches intently, as this is something Shaman has talked to her about before, and Twoyoungmen tells his daughter that the human mind is too delicate for anyone of conscience to tamper with, even in the slightest way. He adds that the only spell he possesses that comes close to mind control is the one that triggers phobias. Changing the subject, Shaman informs Elizabeth that it is not his abilities that need their concern at the moment, for as he said before, she is somehow linked to the events, and should now be able to locate the center of the evil.
Elizabeth complies, adding though that she doesn’t understand how something that happened eighty years before she was born could have anything to do with her – suddenly, she senses something, its almost like a nausea when she faces a certain way. “A kind of nausea” Shaman thinks to himself, that Elizabeth easily dismisses what would certainly be a soul-wrenching feeling to any other mortal able to sense it. Shaman believes that when it is properly developed, Elizabeth’s power may one day rival that of Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme himself!
Her hands glowing with power, Elizabeth alerts her father and his teammates to the direction of what they are searching for, though she cannot put it into words, it feels like a tear in the universe itself! Looking into a window, Judd tells Elizabeth that that might have been the only way to describe it, for he cant think of another way to! The others look in, and see what Puck sees – an elderly Native American man levitating, while a young white man points guns at him, and an older white man holds a gun to a young Native American woman.
The unruly redheaded man tells the levitating man that he knows he cannot hurt him or Luke – the young man – but he will hurt his granddaughter unless he starts to conjure up Ranaq for him. The young woman pleads with her grandfather not to conjure Ranaq. The withered old man tells the redheaded, Zebediah Chase, not to push his luck, for he and young Lucas Stang have been fortunate beyond their imagining. He suggests to the two white men that they take their ill-gotten gains and leave, that they should not wish upon themselves this ultimate folly, for there is no one in the world with enough power to harness and control a Great Beast.
Back outside, Snowbird reacts to hearing the name of her greatest enemies, and she prepares to take action. Shaman sees this, and grabs her before she can act, for this pattern of history must be allowed to play itself out. Narya orders Shaman to stand aside, as this matter no longer concerns he or anyone else, for Ranaq must not be freed, the barrier not sundered. Shaman is somewhat surprised by Snowbird’s tone of voice as he remembers how he delivered Snowbird into Earth and bound her with his magic to this human plane of existence. He thought he knew her well, but she has never been like this before, even when they battled the first Great Beast, Tundra. He urges Narya to be patient, proclaiming that they shouldn’t act before the time is right.
Inside, the floating man calls the white men foolish, but Zebediah cuts him off, reminding him that while they are wearing the magic necklaces they stole from his granddaughter, nothing he conjures can hurt them. Chase orders the elderly man to ‘get busy or else’ but the elderly American Indian tells Zebediah to stay his threats, before proclaiming that the ancient barrier is weakening and the Great Evil stirs. He tells the white men to look closely, and the old man is suddenly replaced by the indescribable monstrosity that is Ranaq the Devourer.
The young woman Zebediah was holding quickly runs out of the way, and Lucas Stang fires bullets at the Great Beast, telling his older friend to get out while he holds it back. Ranaq turns to Lucas Stang and asks him what he thinks he is doing, using such an inconsequential weapon on one such as he. He tells Stang that he can sense he is very young by human standards, and that perhaps it is time he learnt the error of his ways. Unleashing a beam of energy on young Stang, Ranaq declares that it is a pity he will not have the time to do so.
Lucas suddenly realizes that he is unharmed, that Ranaq’s power didn’t harm him. Zebediah reminds him that they are wearing the charms, of which the whole plan revolves around. Ranaq's eyes flare up as he tells chase and Lucas that he does not detect within them the wisdom to formulate such a plan. He proclaims that either way, he cannot destroy them, and is forced to serve them. He asks what their desires are. Shaman looks through the window as Chase declares they want money, women and power.
Standing mere feet away from Chase, Ranaq asks him why he wants these things that are of human life, of which Ranaq has no power in the matter of. Chase points a finger at the Great Beast telling him that he learned from the Squaw that he is one of Seven Great Beasts’ older and more powerful than the whole world, and that they can do what they want. Ranaq tells Chase that he is too wise for him, and tells him to turn around – where standing in the room is a beautiful woman, with riches beyond imagination surrounding her.
Chase tells Ranaq that they are going to be great friends, and as the woman starts taking her dress off, he walks up to her – and then walks right through her, falling and landing on the mounds of riches, which too he slips through. Chase calls Ranaq a liar, but the Great Beast tells him he is not lying, that it is the charm he is wearing which shields him from magic, both good and bad. Chase tugs at the enchanted necklace as he asks Ranaq if what he is saying is that he cannot touch any of the riches because of the necklace.
Ranaq confirms this, and he suggests to Zebediah Chase that he remove the charm so the gifts can be his. Chase complies, and hands the necklace to Lucas Stang to hold, the young blonde man voicing his concern over this act. Chase walks over to the female Ranaq created for him and tells Stang that if he ever wanted advice he would get it from someone who wasn’t still “wet behind the ears”. He extends a hand out to the woman, announcing that they still have unfinished business – but his expression quickly changes to that of horror when the woman’s face is replaced by a huge gaping mouth filled with very sharp teeth.
This being lunges her face forward to Chase’s and it seems if she is kissing – or doing something to him – for a very long time, until she vanishes, leaving Zebediah slumped on the floor. Young Lucas Stang slowly approaches the older man, reaching for his gun and holding the necklace out in front of him. Chase turns around – revealing a distorted appearance, a huge mouth full of teeth, he cries that Zebediah is gone, and that after a thousand years of imprisonment, Ranaq is finally free!
‘But not for very long, Beast’ cries Snowbird as the beautiful goddess makes a dramatic entrance to the barn. Ranaq, in the form of Zebediah Chase is surprised at the young woman’s appearance, sensing that she does not belong here. Snowbird informs him that his senses are correct, and that she is the daughter of Nelvanna. Ranaq’s eyes flare up at the mention of his enemies’ name, for it was Nelvanna of the Northern lights who imprisoned the Great Beasts beyond the barrier. Ranaq mentions that he thought all of Nelvanna’s kind was imprisoned in the nether realms. Ranaq brushes this aside, for it doesn’t matter to him, and he tells Narya this, adding that he can see her True Fires, and that they are tainted with humanity!
Ranaq boasts to Snowbird that she is no match for him, and using a powerful blast, he sends the goddess flying back through the doors and she lands some meters down the street. Elizabeth and Shaman watch in horror, and Twoyoungmen regrets not keeping a closer eye on Snowbird, for her instinctive drives over-ridded his request that she wait. Shaman tells his daughter that he needs to tend to Snowbird, while she goes to face Ranaq – alone!
Stunned at this, Elizabeth reminds her father that she doesn’t know what to do, but he tells her she will, and will not fail. Creeping up to the barn door Elizabeth thinks to herself that it is easy for Shaman to say such things, for he has been doing this a lot longer than she has, but she cannot deny that he is somehow right. Right that when Ranaq tried to destroy her in their previous confrontation, she somehow knew what to do.
Entering the barn with Puck at her side, Elizabeth tells him to stand aside, that she will handle “mister mouth” – she hopes! Ranaq is surprised at Elizabeth’s entrance, surprised that another female has come to challenge him, he thinks that the race of men must have changed significantly in the last thousand years, for he thought all women were weak and timid. Raising her arms above her head as if she expects some power to burst from them, Elizabeth jokes that Women’s Liberation hasn’t quite made its way into the Old West – but that she certainly has!
She is surprised when she realizes that nothing is happening, after proclaiming she could do “something”, and Ranaq picks up on this, telling her that her bluff was good, and he was almost afraid – but only for a moment! And with that, Ranaq unleashes a powerful blast of energy on Elizabeth, like the one he unleashed on Snowbird. Unlike the goddess however, Elizabeth isn't blasted across the town, and as she bathes in the golden beam of power, she remembers this happened back in her real time, the energies flowed around her, and didn’t hurt her, in fact, they are making her stronger – and able to strike back!
And so she does so, sending the energies right back to Ranaq, who cries out in pain. Young Lucas Stang meanwhile wonders who the strange people are, and decides that with Zebediah’s plan gone wrong, he should just get out while he still can. Judd however intercepts Lucas as he makes his getaway, proclaiming that he is not yet sure how the young blonde man fits into this, and so he has to stay!
Stang is knocked to the ground, protesting with Judd to be let free, Judd tells him that his role in this is not over, as he still has to do something that will haunt him for a hundred years. The elderly Native American approaches Judd and calls him wise, informing him that only Stang can destroy the Beast he was forced to set free. Young Stang protests that he cannot destroy the man who has been a father to him ever since his real parents died. The frail Indian informs Lucas that he will not kill him, for Chase is already dead and it is only the Great Beast that occupies his body now.
Scared, Stang asks what they expect him to do, reminding the old man that he said himself there was no one in the. The old man corrects Lucas, for he really said was no one can “control” Ranaq. Fortunately, the old man proclaims, Ranaq is perhaps the weakest of the Great Beasts, because he requires a human body to inhabit. The old man adds that so long Ranaq remains in the flesh, he is mortal – to the one who can pierce the magic that protects him.
Pointing to Elizabeth, Lucas asks how he is supposed to do anything, as she is throwing all kinds of magic at him and nothing is happening. The aged man informs Lucas that Elizabeth fights Ranaq on his own level, which is the wrong thing to do, for her power is sufficient to balance that of Ranaq’s, but not overcome it. He tells Stang that he has one human-skill that may prevail – his prowess with the weapons of man! Lucas looks slightly miffed and tells the old man that he is a good shot, when he realizes that he is talking about the necklace, realizing it must have enough magic in it to stop Ranaq. He tears at it with his teeth, for the pieces are about this size of a bullet, and can fit into his gun so he can shoot them.
Lucas looks at his loaded gun, ready for action, he calls to Ranaq, hoping Zebediah will answer, telling him that if there is any part of him still in there, to find a way to let him know. Ranaq turns away from Elizabeth and looking at Lucas, he reminds him he told him that his friend no longer dwells within this “shell”. Elizabeth sees that Ranaq has relaxed his attack somewhat and that perhaps this is her chance to act – until Lucas Stang tells Ranaq to die, and puts a charm-bullet through his head.
At that very moment, some yards down the street, Narya cries out in pain, and her body writhes on the ground, Shaman realizes that the Great Beast is slain, yet somehow it transmitted its dying agony onto her. He believes there is more to this than he cold ever have begun to guess.
One hour later, a masking spell hides the seven individuals at Fort Calgary, where Lucas Stang announces he has just buried Ranaq, exactly where he was told to. The elderly Native American tells Stang that he has done well, despite the bitter reward he fears will come. For he will live a life alone, fearful of former loved ones and ever on guard against the return of the Beast, adding that he will live for more than a hundred years.
Standing at her father’s side, Elizabeth realizes that the elderly Indian man is telling Stang the prophecy Stang mentioned to them back in their own time, about Ranaq striking through a loved one. Shaman remembers too, for the blood of an innocent being was to be spilled. He proclaims that while Lucas Stang may have saved the world, the payment will be a lifetime of fear and solitude, broken only by the few brief years when he permits himself to take a wife.
Elizabeth declares that it is not fair and that they need to tell Stang that he doesn’t have to live that way. Sternly, her father informs her that he does have to live that way, for it has always been that way, which is the cruel truth of time travel, for it would be a dangerous folly to attempt to change it, though even he wishes it could be otherwise.
Snowbird urges her teammates to return to their own time, pointing towards Elizabeth, the goddess declares that the Talisman has much to learn if she is to fulfil her role. Elizabeth reluctantly, agrees and as always, expresses her annoyance – until she shuts up by asking Snowbird what she just called her!


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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Gold and Love Affairs!
Sasquatch, the super-strong and super-furry member of Alpha Flight, lets out a might roar as he rips a huge tree from the ground it has rested in probably for a very long time in the Canadian Rockies, British Columbia. Using his incredible strength he swings the massive tree as if it were an axe, using it to cut down smaller trees in one mighty sweep. Using the same tree he begins to make a clean-sweep of the area, landscaping it, moving rocks and other natural things over the course of five hours, until his labors pay off, and a waterfall flows down the side of the mountain he had just been reshaping.
Suddenly, a voice calls over to him to ‘hold it right there!’ but its not an angry voice, but the voice of a construction worker, and others surround him, as he congratulates Sasquatch on doing what would have taken them five months to do. Sasquatch replies that it was his pleasure as he needed the exercise, while thinking to himself that he hasn’t learnt exactly what he wanted to learn for himself out of this little “experiment”.
Sasquatch asks the foreman, Calvelli, how long it will take to complete the sanitarium now that the land is cleared and running water available. The foreman replies that it should be completed within eight to ten months, and his attention is suddenly drawn away from his blueprints by a blinding flash of light streaking across the sky, which darts towards the ground, and lands meters in front of them.
The light is none other than Alpha Flight’s Aurora, sporting a revealing sleek new costume to go with her recent cropped hairstyle, she asks her boyfriend, Sasquatch, if he has finished with all the sweaty work, reminding him he promised her a night out on the town. Sasquatch leans down to Aurora and reminds her that he told her what time to expect him home so there was no need to come looking for him. Aurora replies that she got bored and wanted to test her powers out also.
A handsome construction worker walks up to the super-heroes and comments that Aurora doesn’t look like she does in all her pictures. Glancing back at the man, she tells him that everyone needs a change now and then and as she is no longer in partnership with Northstar she sees no reason to continue to dress like him. As he checks her out, the handsome man smiles saying he isn’t complaining about it! Surprised, a young female worker mentions to Aurora that she was hoping her brother might show up. Aurora smiles, telling the girl ‘not this time’.
Several other male workers gather around the French-Canadian mutant, one of them declaring that they don’t need her brother when they have her around. The handsome worker mentions that he heard she was a lady who knows how to have a real good time and another asks her if she could share some of that ‘Joy De Veever’ with them. Aurora smirks, asking if they think she is “that kind of girl” – then they are right, and she grabs the man and kisses him passionately on the lips.
The older worker asks whoever it was that said, “All super-heroes is all purity and light?” The handsome blond worker tells him not to analyze as they have been stuck on the rock for a month with only the boss’s daughter to look at and that they should strike while the iron is hot. Which is when Sasquatch picks up the two men, telling them sarcastically that he is sure they realize Aurora was just teasing them – ‘Aren’t you Aurora?’ he says sternly to his flighty girlfriend.
Arms folded, Aurora glares, telling Walt he has a way of taking the fun out of life. And with that, she lights up and takes to the sky, shouting back that she sees no reason to hang around with such a ‘stick in the mud’. Sasquatch waves goodbye to the construction workers and lumbers away, watching Aurora’s speed as she goes, he decides she is not as fast as she was since they modified her powers, but she is still fast nonetheless.
As he makes his way swiftly through the forest, Walt decides that while it had been an interesting day. It was unproductive, for he only volunteered to clear the land, which he completed, so he could test himself. He had been suffering recently from uncontrollable rages and was hoping that if he had psyched himself up he could generate one of them her – but he didn’t even come close, and was completely in control the whole time. This worries him as much as the attacks, because to him that suggests some outside force is responsible for his rages, though to his dismay he cannot think of a common factor that was present in all cases.
Meanwhile, at the home of Heather McNeil Hudson’s parents, the sumptuous Snowbird stands before team-leader, Heather Hudson; the diminutive Eugene “Puck” Judd and Dr. Michael “Shaman” Twoyoungmen; while she tries to convince them that the coming of the Talisman has long been anticipated and that Elizabeth Twoyoungmen must be made to understand her responsibilities. While Snowbird points at the attractive young Native American woman, Elizabeth holds her hands up, reminding Snowbird that seventy-two hours ago she was just an art-college student, and tells the ice-cold deity that she is coming across like she is giving her messianic delusions.
Unimpressed, Snowbird tells Elizabeth that her allusion is not appropriate and reiterates that her coming has been foretold for centuries, adding that all the evidence points to her being the Binder of Spirits. Sitting on a couch, Heather watches the two immensely powerful young women “battle it out” remembering how when she used to baby-sit Elizabeth when she lived next door to her she was such a normal child. However, even Heather agrees that from what she has seen and heard there is indeed something special about Elizabeth.
Shaman tells Narya matter-of-factly that she is wrong to emphasize the messianic qualities of the Talisman, reminding her that Elizabeth was raised in white-man’s culture, adding that in Elizabeth’s mind there is only one place in history for one messiah. Coldly, Snowbird asks Twoyoungmen if he denies the facts. Somewhat annoyed with Snowbird, Twoyoungmen informs the goddess that he only denies the terminology, stating that while his daughter is clearly the promised one, this is very confusing for her to be hearing herself spoken of in such lofty terms. Shaman adds that they must be careful with the terminology used if Elizabeth is to be ready for the task ahead of her.
Elizabeth speaks up, informing her father and his teammates that she does not like being discussed in the third person, adding that she has more say in this than anyone else. Reaching the coronet that sits on her brow, Elizabeth reminds everyone that she didn’t volunteer for this task and was drafted. She starts to take off the headband when suddenly she cries out in excruciating pain. As Shaman goes to her and holds her steady, she asks what happened, informing them it felt as if a dagger was being driven into her skull. Shaman apologizes to his daughter, informing her that he wished they had more time to explain to her what she fully faced, revealing that the coronet of enchantment cannot be removed.
Leaning against a couch, Judd mentions to Heather that he is beginning to feel a little out of his league, for while he has come across some interesting witcheries in his life, but this tops it off. When a seemingly pre-occupied team leader doesn’t respond, Judd asks Heather if she is all right. Heather tells the aged Alphan that she finds it strange being in her parents’ house after not being in it for ten years. Judd reminds Heather that she mentioned once how rocky it became between her and her parents when she and Mac eloped. Heather tells Judd that now that Mac is dead she keeps expecting her mother to come through the door carrying a sign that says, “I told you so”.
As the two walk into the kitchen, Judd tells Heather that Elizabeth mentioned that her parents are away on vacation and not due back for ten days. Pausing, he asks if there is nothing else bothering her. Pouring herself a mug of coffee, Heather tells Judd that there might be something, for she has enough on her mind to fill up a couple dozen normal lives! Heather supposes though that normality is the automatic first casualty when one starts hanging around with super-heroes.
Sitting on a seat at the kitchen table, Judd suggests to Heather that she may find what most people consider “normal” occupies a very thin line on the spectrum of human experience. Judd tells Heather that if anyone strays a couple of steps either way from that narrow path and one is liable to find themselves in a very different world. He should know, he used to live there. Sipping her coffee, Heather tells Judd that Mac had told her a lot about him, that he has walked parts of the world few men ever dreamed about. Heather tells Judd that that is one of the reasons she is glad he has decided to stay with the team, adding that if she is going to make any kind of an impact as leader of Alpha Flight she will need his wisdom.
As Heather sits down, Judd tells her that the wisdom is hers for the taking, adding that if there is anything he can do to help her, in any way, all she needs to do is let him know. Heather smiles and tells Judd that he is a good friend, but that right now she needs to give Walter a call and let him know they are nearing his way. Getting up from her seat she turns back and smiles at Judd, telling him she will see him soon, he replies that he is counting the moments.
Shaman enters the kitchen as Heather leaves and Judd asks how Elizabeth is. Shaman replies that Snowbird is talking to her, before asking if he may have a word with him. Judd gets up from his chair and asks if there is a problem. With a neutral tone so as not to upset Judd, Michael tells him that there is a potential one. Shaman states that Heather is vulnerable right now, for the death of her husband struck her to the core, they were after all, very much in love. Shaman adds that because Guardian’s death was so total and all happened before her very eyes has left Heather with scars that may never go away.
As Shaman sits on the floor to become eye-level with Judd, Judd tells Twoyoungmen that he is not telling him anything he doesn’t already know. Shaman replies that he is aware of this, but is also aware of his fellow eldest-Alphan’s feelings for Heather. Shaman states that Heather has an incredible strength of spirit and a great inner beauty which few men could be unmoved by – especially in her present emotionally bruised state.
Judd grits his teeth and turns away as he tells Twoyoungmen that he knows what this is leading up to, and that he need not worry, for even if he was not twice Heather’s age. He realizes Heather needs more than he can offer her, for she has had enough pain in her life and he does not want to add to it. Shaman tells Judd that he misunderstands him, for what he means is that there will come a time, perhaps soon, when Heather will need someone again, someone strong and kind. He warns Judd that he believes Heather will reach out and that it will be to he, informing him that he must not turn away from her, that he must be prepared to give as much of his self that Heather might need to take.
The next day, on the straits of Juan De Fuca, Vancouver Island, where the handsome Walter Langkowski and an unimpressed Aurora are on a speedboat going across the lake. Aurora asks her boyfriend how much further it is, for she did not expect it to be this cold. Walt pays more attention to Aurora’s scantily clad body – bikini and a revealing jumper – than to his driving, and smiling he reminds Aurora he advised her to wear something a little warmer. Aurora reminds Walt that she never used to be bothered by the cold or the heat, and wonders if this is something caused by her new biology.
Walter suspects that it is and he reminds her that he warned her there may be some unpredictable side-effects of the altering of her mutant genes, for while her powers have changed, so too has her physical resilience. Aurora tells Walt that she doesn’t care much for the sound of that, and that she simply wanted him to make her powers different from those of her brothers, but must she anticipate them bring weaker? Walt replies that only time will tell, before motioning to an island and informing Aurora that they have arrived.
Holding herself from the cold, Aurora stands on the dock as Walt ties the boat up she asks where exactly “here” is. Walt informs Aurora that they are at Tamarind Island, which has been in his family for years, but had always seemed too out of the way for the city-folk like he and his parents. As they walk up the sprawling grounds to the huge mansion, Walt reminds Aurora that when Heather rang them yesterday to tell them that she and the rest of Alpha were headed this way with the idea of setting up a permanent headquarters, something reminded him of the island, so he thought they should check it out.
When the lovers come in full view of the huge mansion Walt asks Aurora if she could imagine a better potential headquarters. Amazed, Aurora proclaims it is ‘fantastique!’ Walt smiles as he reveals that it was built around 1896 by a great-aunt on his mothers side, who was something of a character by all accounts. He tells Aurora that his great-aunt disappeared around 1929 just before the Great Depression and a few years later she was legally declared dead. The house and property was then passed to his maternal grandfather then to his mother.
Standing on the sprawling veranda, Walt admits that they came here once when he was a child as his father thought they should find out what they were paying so much real estate tax for, and his mother took an instant repulsion to the sight of the place. Adding to that the rumors that the mansion is haunted pretty much explains why they never came back, and it has remained empty ever since. Opening the door easily, Walt expected to have more trouble with it, but it seems that the hinges have been oiled.
As the couple walk into one of the rooms, Aurora tells Walt that from the way he described it she expected covered furniture and cobwebs everywhere, but the place is practically spotless. Walt agrees that it looks like someone has been keeping the place neat and tidy, adding that his mother made a similar comment when they came here thirty years ago.
Langkowski watches as Aurora walks down the hallway, and he thinks to himself that Aurora seems particularly taken with the place, which is good as he wanted an excuse to get her away from the city. He tells himself that he is still trying to work out what is going on with her and that the new hairstyle and the new costume must have something to do with it. It is almost as if she was fighting, struggling to hold onto the Aurora side of her personality, and not wanting Jeanne-Marie to break through.
Walt thinks that that is exactly what is happening, for Aurora has always spoken flawless enough, without any trace of her French accent almost, while Jeanne-Marie has trouble even with basic sentence structure in anything but French! However, Walt thinks that lately Aurora has been sounding more and more like Jeanne-Marie, dropping her “H’s” and saying “zis” and “zat” instead of “this” and “that”. Leaning against a wall, Walt suspects that some kind of spontaneous fusion is taking place, and the two opposite sides – his thoughts are cut off when suddenly the wall swings open and closes quickly behind him after he falls through.
Aurora turns back, and rushing to where he was standing sees only his hat, lying on the floor. Picking up his hat, Aurora calls out to her boyfriend, telling him that if this is some kind o joke she doesn’t find it funny – suddenly the lights cut out, and Aurora is plunged into darkness – something she fears. Aurora wonders why the darkness why the darkness is so absolute, as there are windows in the hallway, but this is like being submerged in ink!
Aurora crashes into something which frightens her, her heart jumps and it seems to be amplified, desperate, the scared young woman tries to find a way out. She calls out to Walter, pleading with him not to leave her in the darkness, for she is Aurora and must be let free to roam in the light of the sun, that darkness is only for Jeanne-Marie! She cries that the darkness which gives Jeanne-Marie freedom only gives Aurora imprisonment, for the sisters at the orphanage used to lock her away until Jeanne-Marie would come back, crushing Aurora’s very spirit!
Aurora cries out that Jeanne-Marie has been so very close to the surface as of late, so close to breaking free, for she escaped during the battle with the Collector. Aurora won control back, but recently Jeanne-Marie almost broke free again, and Aurora won control just barely. Aurora feels Jeanne-Marie clawing at her very mind and ripping at Aurora, for Jeanne-Marie was after all the master of the body for many years before Aurora broke free- suddenly, Jeanne-Marie seems to break free. Calling out that the treacherous imp broke free and forced her down – Aurora fights back, proclaiming that she is Aurora and not Jeanne-Marie!
Jeanne-Marie spies something in the darkness, Aurora sees it too, a sliver of light, Jeanne-Marie believes it to be a door – its not locked and it opens – and Aurora walks through it, into a passage filled with eight golden life-size statues of men. Examining the statues Aurora remembers that Walt said his great-aunt had been married eight times and she wonders if they are statues of her husbands. Aurora wonders what each successive spouse must have thought if he saw the monuments to those who were before him. She thinks there is something very strange about them – suddenly one of the statues opens it eyes.
Aurora realizes they are alive and turns to escape the madhouse she is in. Turning around she finds standing before her a woman with a golden face, cloaked in white. The mysterious woman extends a golden hand and grabs Aurora by the wrist. Aurora pleads with her to let go, and asks what she has done with Aurora. The woman replies that Walt is going to be safer than he has ever been and pushes Aurora forth so she can take her to him. Aurora walks with the woman and asks who she is.
Her glassy stare and cold features remain as she introduces herself as Lillian von Loont, though in past times she was called Gilded Lily! Gilded Lily reveals that Walter is near, and points her finger to the once-handsome man, now encased in gold, and Aurora screams.


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Rub-Out
Snow falls this night, and Jean-Paul Beaubier, Olympic winning skier and former mutant member of Canada’s Premiere Super Heroes, Alpha Flight, is enjoying a relaxing evening at home with friends – until the door rings, and the handsome French-Canadian is surprised to see his sister, Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, a.k.a. Aurora, who recently terminated their partnership, wearing nothing but a bikini and pleading for her brother’s help. However Jean-Paul calls his sister ‘Aurora’ and the young woman turns back to the snow, and in French exclaims that she came to him for help, yet he calls her by that hated name. Northstar realizes his mistake – that Jeanne-Marie is dominant in his sister’s body, for his sister has multiple personality disorder, the meek Jeanne-Marie and the carefree Aurora share the one body.
Jean-Paul calls to Jeanne-Marie, who falls over in the snow, and asks Jean-Paul to leave her alone to die – for it is all she deserves. Jean-Paul picks his now unconscious sister and carries her back into his house, calling out to his friends to bring blankets and hot coffee. A few minutes later, Jeanne-Marie is sitting up on a couch, with Jean-Paul next to her. Jeanne-Marie apologizes for her behavior earlier, and Northstar replies that it was his fault for calling her by that name. Jean-Paul asks Jeanne-Marie to tell him why she is here, not that he isn't delighted to see her, but he thought she was living with Walter Langkowski. Jean-Paul thinks to himself that he needs to be careful when talking to his sister as he has not seen her since their encounter with the Collector and does not know how her schizophrenia has progressed since then.
Jeanne-Marie is shocked at her brother’s comment that she is “living with” Sasquatch, and declares that she is not living with anyone, as that would be highly immoral. Northstar puts a hand on his sister’s shoulder and apologizes, saying that he wasn’t thinking about what he was saying. Jeanne-Marie starts sobbing and tells her brother that it is she who should be sorry, for it was she who came to him for help, and all she has done is scream like some ‘demented harpie’. Northstar holds his sister and tells her not to be distressed, but that she must tell him what happened, how she came to him and why she is dressed so ‘unseasonally’. Jeanne-Marie replies that she will, though it is hard.
Flashback
Jeanne-Marie remembers being out on a boat, bitterly cold wearing nothing but the ‘tiny scraps of cloth’ she has on now. Jeanne-Marie remembers actually saying something about the cold, but her head was pounding hard. There was a man – Walter Langkowski – who gave her his jacket. Jeanne-Marie thanks him, but believes he wanted more than a mere “thank you” and Walt began to kiss her on the neck.
Aghast, Jeanne-Marie pushes Walt away, and hurt, Walt kept telling Jeanne-Marie to be calm and asking her what the matter was, being very polite – except that he kept calling her by that name. Jeanne-Marie covered her ears, thinking she would go mad, she squeezed her eyes shut, only to open them a moment later – finding herself up in the air, she didn’t know what to do – so she made herself move, and willed herself to drift towards Quebec.
Present
Jeanne-Marie adds that she finally got here, to Jean-Paul, it took almost three days, and she never touched the ground once in that time. It’s Jean-Paul’s turn to be shocked now, shocked that Jeanne-Marie flew – something she could never do before. Jeanne-Marie informs her brother that he is wrong, for the first time she flew, when she was only fourteen, she flew as herself, that it is Aurora who will not let her fly, for Aurora keeps that power to herself. Jean-Paul continues to console his distressed sister and suggests she sleep, as she must be tired.
Jean-Paul asks his friend Rhonda to take Jeanne-Marie and put her to bed in the guest-room. Rhonda leads Jeanne-Marie away to the guest-room and Jean-Paul calls to his sister that he will see her in the morning. Sullen, Jean-Paul sinks back into the couch and wonders what could have caused his sisters regression this time, for usually it is a situation of extreme nervous stress that forces Aurora back into her Jeanne-Marie persona. Northstar supposes that much has happened to his sister since they saw each other last, for his sister’s new hairstyle is evidence of that. Northstar wonders what could have prompted Aurora to cut her hair, for she always been content to wear her hair in such a way that Jeanne-Marie could make use of also.
Jean-Paul picks up the phone, supposing he should call Walter Langkowski as he could tell him what has happened to his sister, not to mention that Walt will be out of his mind worrying about her. Jean-Paul puts the phone back down and decides that perhaps it is better if Walt stays out of his mind worrying, for since Jean-Paul and Aurora dissolved their relationship he has tried to disassociate himself from Alpha Flight. After all, Jean-Paul only continued to associate with them because the group environment seemed good for his sister – but that is evidently no longer the case. Northstar thinks this latest regression could be a blessing in disguise, for perhaps out of this can come a team of Northstar and Aurora that does not need Alpha Flight!
Meanwhile, in Vancouver, British Columbia, two old friends are braving the heavy rain for a walk in the city. The two old friends being Heather McNeil Hudson, leader of Alpha Flight, and the young woman she baby-sat as a child – Elizabeth Twoyoungmen, the phenomenally powerful Talisman, Alpha Flight’s newest member. Heather mentions that she hopes Aurora shows up soon, for Walt is about as close to cracking as anyone can get! Elizabeth adds that is the last thing Walt needs, what with his problems he is having as Sasquatch. Heather agrees that Walt’s issues have been somewhat of a puzzle, and that he seems worried he is losing himself to the monster – exactly what apparently happened to Bruce Banner when he became the Incredible Hulk.
Elizabeth says that hints her father has been dropping seem to suggest that something else is happening, something he doesn’t want to talk about to ‘us mere mortals’. The sultry young woman complains that her father can be such a pain with his “some things man is not meant to know” talk. Heather tells Elizabeth that her father has a lot of knowledge the rest of the world is not quite ready for, when suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she sees a very familiar face. That of her husband, James MacDonald Hudson, Alpha Flight’s former leader, Guardian.
Mac quickly turns his back and walks away, Heather instantly drops her umbrella and follows Mac through the crowd, calling out to him to wait for her. Heather trips in skirt, as it is not very practical for running in, and she hits the pavement as Mac turns a corner. Elizabeth rushes up to her friend as a desperate Heather cries out that it was Mac. Shocked, Elizabeth reminds Heather that Guardian is…dead!
Twelve hours later and back in Quebec, Northstar and Jeanne-Marie arrive at a circus! Jeanne-Marie declares how exciting this is, and tells her brother that he never mentioned knowing any circus people. Helping his reservedly dressed sister out of the car, Jean-Paul simply mentions that it is a souvenir or his restless youth, when he was less “civilized” than he is now. A woman stands at the back of a trailer and calls out to Jean-Paul. The mutant speedster barely has time to say the woman’s name before she runs over and kisses him on the lips and tells him that she is so glad he came. Momentarily speechless, Jean-Paul introduces the woman, Clementine D’Arbanville to his sister. Clementine is surprised at this and tells Jean-Paul that he never mentioned he had a sister. Jeanne-Marie informs Clementine that they have only been recently reunited after growing up unaware of each other’s existence.
Moments later, inside Clementine‘s trailer, Jean-Paul reminds his old friend that in her letter she had said that something was wrong with her circus. He adds that while she did not say it outright, the letter implied the trouble was of a sinister nature. ‘You are as perceptive as ever’ says Clementine before saying that she doesn’t know if “sinister” is too strong a word, but the trouble is bad. Clementine motions to a poster on the wall of a one thousand-pound woman, and reveals that the trouble all began with her. Jean-Paul asks what the fat lady has done. Clementine replies that it is not so much as what the large woman has done, and that everything seems to be high superstition at the moment.
Clementine reveals that she hired Pearl Gross, who goes by the alias Pink Pearl, about one year ago when the circus was still in Europe, and that Pearl cam highly recommended by her previous employer. However, Clementine had the impression that the previous employer was relieved to be rid of Pearl. Soon, Clementine learned all her regulars began to have accidents – the human skeleton, the strong man, the bearded woman and Mighty Mite – and each time, Pearl new someone who could take their place. At first Clementine recalls that she counted her blessings, but now she finds herself surrounded by strangers. Clementine adds that she also thinks Pink Pearl is behind all the delays that have kept the circus here out of season, for it is long past time that they were out of their winter quarters by now.
A knock at the door and Clementine excuses herself, opening the door however a huge fist greets her in her face, and the obese Pink Pearl enters the trailer. As Clementine lies on the ground, Pearl tells her that she has been a ‘naughty little girl’ telling stories to strangers, and reminds her that she told her everything would be fine if she kept her nose out of Pearl’s business. Mad, Clementine reminds Pearl that the circus is her business. Pearl declares that it is not anymore and suggests Clementine shuts up and does what Pearl tells her to do. Northstar walks up to Pearl and declares that she seems to be suffering from role-reversal, as it is she who works for Clementine, not Clementine who works for her.
‘Keep your nose out of this, pretty boy’ Pearl snaps at Jean-Paul before informing Jean-Paul that he does not know enough so far to spoil Pearl’s plans. She adds that if he keeps his nose out of her business then she may let him walk away with a whole skin. Jean-Paul calmly tells Pearl that she has missed the point, for Clementine is an old friend of his who asked for his help, and he is not to let her down just because Pearl tells him too. Pearl tells Northstar that that is too bad, for she is going to hate seeing his pretty face all messed up, and calls out to the human skeleton to get Northstar.
Jean-Paul is stunned when a literal human skeleton jumps through the window and attacks him. Pushed to the floor, Northstar regrets that the confined space in the trailer does not enable him to use his super-speed, not to mention that the skeleton man is squeezing the life out of him! The human skeleton calls Jean-Paul “tubby” (which of course he isn't) and suggests he stops struggling, for he is far too strong for him. Pink Pearl tells Bones to watch his mouth or he may offend her delicate nature, before seeing Jeanne-Marie in a corner and asks the young woman if she is going to give them any trouble too. Surprisingly, Jeanne-Marie throws her hands in the air and makes them into fists, trying to strike Pearl, she tells her to leave her and her brother alone.
Pearl is surprised by this sudden outburst, but declares that she knows how to deal with it, and shoves Jeanne-Marie into her large stomach. In a suffocating motion, Pearl smothers Jeanne-Marie before dropping Jeanne-Marie to the floor. Clementine steps forward off the ground and is about to say something offensive to Pearl before she is reminded of Pearl’s delicate nature, and shoved back to the ground. Standing over Clementines’ body Pearl declares that by calling the cavalry she added to the final body count, and that there is nothing anyone can do.
Elsewhere, on an isolated hillside near Moosejaw, Saskatchewan, former Gamma Flight member Madison Jeffries stares at the sky and wonders where someone is, hoping they haven't gone ‘cloud happy’ on him. He sees something streak towards him and wonders if giving his associate flight capabilities was too much – especially for someone who has been in a wheelchair for most of their life and who might just get a little “drunk” off the experience. The metal man known as Box lands near Madison and declares that the new Box is a thousand percent of an improvement over the old one. ‘Tell me something I didn’t know’ jokes Jeffries.
Box turns to Jeffries and mentions that he will overlook that little immodesty for anyone who can create something like this armor is entitled to an inflated ego. Jeffries smiles and says ‘speaking of things betting inflated, shouldn’t you get out of there before you get too comfy’? Before reminding the person inside the armor that there is a danger of the symbiosis becoming permanent. The armored man lumbers away and mentions that from the way he feels now, he is having difficulties seeing permanent symbiosis as a problem. But he knows Jeffries is right, for being permanently part of the Box armor would be like exchanging one wheel chair for another.
The Box robot stands beside a wheelchair and the phase-out begins, and the quadriplegic Roger Bochs maneuvers into his wheelchair as Jeffries asks him how the transition felt. Roger smiles and reports that it felt fine, just a tingle in the extremities, but not as uncomfortable as the “phantom senses” he gets like when his foot itches. The former Beta Flight member declares that he doesn’t think he will ever be able to fully express how pleased he is, especially as when he first contacted Jeffries about rebuilding the Box robot, he had no idea they would be this successful. Bochs adds that the concept of a physical fusion with his “living metal” alloy had not occurred to him, and it is amazing!
Jeffries tells Roger not to get too turned on, as it may mean that no one else will ever be take control of Box again, but it also means that if an arm gets blown off the Box robot in battle, well, it wont be just the robots’ arm that gets blown off too. Bochs replies that he realizes the danger but is prepared to take the risk, and he asks Jeffries to help him load Box back into the van. Once inside, Jeffries supposes his part in this deal is over and asks Bochs how soon it is that he is planning on ‘hittin` the vengeance trail’? Bochs scowls and proclaims that this is no joke, for an evil man used his original Box to murder a good man, a man he admired, and now he intends to use the new Box robot to track the killer down and punish him!
Back at the circus, Jeanne-Marie awakes – only it’s Aurora who wakes, as evident by her cry ‘No! Walter! What in…? Where am I?’ Looming over the petite Alphan, Pearl welcomes Aurora back to the land of the living, surprised that she can speak English, as Jeanne-Marie can but very rarely does. Tied up, Aurora asks where she is and who Pearl is. Pearl jokes that she is upset over being forgotten so quickly and mentions that she was just about to tell all of her own friends about her plan. Aurora tries to concentrate and remember what happened, for the last thing she remembers is being in Walter’s old family estate, only for her to wind up in darkness. She wonders where she is now and who the obscene woman is – not to mention what Jean-Paul is doing here, with a woman no less!
Tied up and sprawled across Jean-Paul, Clementine tells the obese woman that she can tell her what she thinks she is doing, and that it better be good! Picking Clementine D’Arbanville up off the ground, Pearl declares that she thinks Clementine will really appreciate it – for it involves a bomb! Pearl motions towards a large bomb in the circus tent where they all are and that while she thinks Clementine probably will not recognize the bomb, as she probably never saw one like it during her naughtier days when she was blowing up people’s mailboxes. On the ground, a groggy Jean-Paul realizes that somehow Clementine was a member of the Sepratiste` and one of the more violent cells at that!  Jean-Paul worries that if Pearl knows that about Clementine, then she may guess that is how he first meet Clementine – when he belonged to the same terrorist group!
Pearl leers down at Clementine and realizes she doesn’t understand still, before informing her that she cannot understand fully because she lacks certain information – information that Pearl has had for more than a year now! Pearl informs Clementine that three miles down the road there is an old farmhouse, and while it looks like an ordinary farmhouse, looks are deceiving, for it is a very special old farmhouse. Pearl reveals that in just over five hours, the last in a series of high-level conferences will be taking place in the old house. A top secret meeting between the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the United States.
Pearl declares that the President and Prime Minister will be finalizing the establishment of a ground-based anti-missile laser defense system across the Arctic Circle. This system would render the North American continent virtually immune to missile attack. However, the “parties” that Pearl represents do not wish to see that happen, so in just over five hours – the old farmhouse is going to be blown up – with the Prime Minister and President inside. Pearl smiles, knowing that there will be a massive investigation, but one that will have no way of tracing anything back to Pearl or her people. Pearl declares that is because the investigation will discover that the blast centered on this circus, and that the investigators will surely learn of Clementine‘s former involvement with terrorists.
Pearl states that it will be assumed the bombing was another insane attack on the government of Canada, which will side-track the investigation will become side tracked then. Still holding Clementine up in the air, Pearl reveals that is why she has been with Clementine‘s circus all these months, and why they have had to “delay” here, when the change over in the last Canadian government delayed the meeting. Aurora gets to her feet and with hands still tied behind her back tells Pearl that that it was an excellent plan, but with one very large fly in the ointment. Taking to the air, Aurora informs Pearl that she obviously did not take into account the possibility that two “innocent bystanders” would happen to be members of Alpha Flight!
Aurora calls to her brother, and the speedster also takes to the air, to the horror of Pink Pearl. The Bearded Lady ruses up to Aurora with a gun, but before she can fire at her, Aurora kicks ‘fur-face’ in the face. Northstar dodges the strong man, he wonders what happened to his sister – for now she is shinning brighter than her name sake – something she has never been able to do before! As Aurora fights with Mighty Mite, Pink Pearl orders her allies to stop Aurora and Northstar – after all, there is only two of them! Leaping off the ground, the obese woman asks if she has to do everything herself, and she lands on top of Aurora, revealing she was going to leave Aurora to die in the blast quickly and painlessly – but now she wants some hurt to come to her!
Pink Pearl lifts Aurora up as the skeleton man declares he will show everyone how they took care of traitors back in his country – ‘one bit at a time’. He prepares to thrown knives at Aurora as she cries out in pain at the way Pearl is hurting her arms. Clementine suddenly comes to Aurora’s rescue by smacking herself up against the skeleton man, who accidentally lets go of one of the knives, which is sent flying into Pink Pearl’s chest, causing the large woman to fall to the ground. Aurora puts her ear up against Pearl’s heart and hearing a heartbeat supposes that Pearl’s fat probably cushioned her from a killing blow, but the sudden shock has knocked her out, and she declares the game over.
One hour later, Clementine reveals that she find the whole situation so unreal – considering their lives and the lives of the entire nation were in peril only moments ago. Now with it over, she hopes the police will find out who Pearl was working for and take action against them. Jean-Paul adds quietly that the secret of his past shall remain a secret. Clementine smiles and tells Northstar that she does not know how to repay him. Northstar tells her that there is no need, for now that he and his sister are reunited, that is reward enough for him. ‘Then it is hollow gold indeed, dear brother’ remarks Aurora as she approaches the old friends.
Northstar turns around to face his sister, and Aurora declares that she is most certainly “Aurora” and not Jeanne-Marie, a ‘weak-willed fool flying to her brother for help’. Crossly, Aurora informs her brother that she has learned much about him today, perhaps too much – and she now needs to come to terms with it. Aurora reveals that she has guessed how her brother came to meet Clementine, and tells him that it makes him no better than Pink Pearl and her allies. Aurora cruelly tells Jean-Paul that while he has said he does not wish for a place in Alpha Flight, when she tells them of his past, he will no longer be welcome there!


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If At First You Don’t Succeed ...
At some proving grounds for the Armed forces, the recently believed deceased leader of Alpha Flight – James MacDonald Hudson, a.k.a. Guardian, stands in front of his team, Alpha Flight, Canada’s premiere super heroes as they prepare to fight the army’s new robotic armor defense weapon. One of the soldiers in the armor declares that no one mentioned they would have to go up against Alpha Flight, to which Aurora replies that life is full of surprises as she takes to the air. Walter Langkowski, now inhabiting the Box armor after the loss of his own body jokes that one can imagine his amazement waking up to learn he was going up against his fan club. The attractive Native American, Elizabeth “Talisman” Twoyoungmen agrees that they do look like Box, but in ‘a clunky sort of way’. Elizabeth’s estranged father, Shaman pulls some power from his medicine pouch as Guardian tells the soldiers in the armor that they have two options – to surrender to Alpha Flight’s obviously superior force, or to end their careers as expensive junk. Eugene Judd, better known as the diminutive Puck jokes that it should be an easy choice.
One of the soldiers tells Judd to ‘go to the bottom of the class’ as he and his companions have blasted their way through half the Canadian Armed forces, and he thinks they can handle Alpha Flight. He fires a blast at Judd who flips backwards, dodging it and exclaiming that he will need to do better to catch him. Using the incredible strength of the Box armor, Walter lifts up the ground one of the armored soldiers is standing on and proclaims that he will give them another sample of the kind of power they are up against. The soldier uses the flight powers of the armor and leaves a blazing trail behind him as he tells Walt to remind him to be impressed – ‘every time I visit you in the hospital’.
In the air, Aurora informs the soldier that he displayed an impressive power, but asks if he has anything else to show them – for flying is old news to Alpha Flight! ‘So I’ve heard’ grumbles the soldier before mentioning that super-heroes were not part of the plan, yet they are supposed to be highly adaptable. Wires suddenly spring from the armor and ensnare Aurora, who is shocked, as she did not even have time to move. The tentacles squeeze Aurora and frightened she calls to her boyfriend to help her. Guardian flies up beside Aurora and tells her that Walter is busy, but that he can help. Aurora smiles and Mac cuts through the wires with an electromagnetic blast, but as he does this, Aurora shrieks in pain as there is feedback which surges through the tentacles and harms her enough so that she cannot stay flying.
Box and Puck are fighting soldiers on the ground and see that Aurora is falling, but neither of them can get to her quick enough. However Shaman reminds his friends that his medicine pouch provides many more uses than offensive weaponry, and from it spread hundreds of bubbles which converge on the ground beneath where Aurora is about to land, and as she lands the bubbles cushion her fall. Shaman goes to her and Aurora tells him that she cannot breathe properly. Twoyoungmen ascertains that Aurora must have broken a rib or two and tells her to lie still while the others deal with the robots. Mac flies over and asks Shaman how Aurora is and Twoyoungmen looks up sternly at Mac as he informs him that Aurora will be okay, but that it was careless of him as he should have considered the consequences of his actions.
Mac flies away and calls back to Shaman that he can tell him off later, after they have ‘polished off the bozo brigade here’. Electromagnetic waves spread through the largest armored soldier and he declares that his circuitry is being disrupted. He tells Guardian that they still have one more ace to play and calls to his teammates for ‘joint venture mode’. The Alphans dodge out of the way of the soldier they were fighting as they all take to the air and link up with the central armored soldier, all five converging into one larger unit. The giant robot unleashes a powerful blast, spreading the Alphans in all directions.
In the air, Box remarks that the soldiers show an impressive display of teamwork as Guardian calls to Shaman and Elizabeth to go against the giant robot first. Twoyoungmen agrees and tells Elizabeth that her magic manipulation powers should prove useful. Elizabeth, still untrained in the use of powers asks her father what she should do, to which he tells her to follow his lead – and improvise! The father and daughter extend their hands and let power flow and form a giant magickal creature. The giant robot is small compared to their creation and it fires a blast at the magickal creature, but it doesn’t have any effect! A direct assault is tried, but it doesn’t work either.
With the soldiers off guard, Mac calls to Walter who flies back towards the ground and lunging at the Macro-Man grabbing at the robot’s feet he pulls him off the ground. In usual Langkowski fashion Walt makes a joke about how he is not a great lullaby singer so he will have to rock them to sleep – and he flings the soldiers into a pile of rocks.
From the sidelines, someone calls ‘Terminating testing sequence’ and Alpha stop with the battle, Walt joking that he was just starting to enjoy himself. Guardian lands on the ground and tells Walt to do as Captain Mansfield asks, reminding his teammate that Alpha Flight is here at his request. Mac asks the Captain if he found out all he wanted to know. Mansfield smiles and informs Mac that it was exactly the trial by fire he had in mind when he contacted Alpha Flight, for the Macro System had proved unstoppable against all conventional resistance, but they needed one last major test before the Government would commit a full-scale production.
Standing by Aurora, Judd remarks to Twoyoungmen that it is strange to see people chatting so casually with Guardian, for it is hard to realize most of the nation did not even know he is supposed to be dead. Twoyoungmen agrees before admitting that even he finds it somewhat chilling being with him, for his resurrection is nothing short of miraculous. Judd remarks that “miraculous” is not a word someone with Shaman’s knowledge would use lightly. He starts to say something else when he is interrupted by an officer who rushes over to Mac and Mansfield, informing them he has a special coded dispatch from someone called “Heather”. Mac takes the note and reads it out loud: Heather to Hubs – the fat’s in the fire, rendezvous at…Mac proclaims that he knows the co-ordinates and turns to his teammates, telling them that they don’t have anytime for a rest, as Heather has uncovered something rather suspect.
Motioning to Langkowski, Shaman tells Guardian that they will have to miss this one as Aurora is hurt and needs his medical attention. Walt remarks that where Aurora goes he goes and Mac agrees, adding that he doesn’t have a problem with it, as Heather has Jean-Paul with her, and with Elizabeth and Judd it should be enough. Elizabeth asks where the ‘nastiness’ is at, and with Judd on his back, Guardian takes to the air, Talisman flies beside him in her own fashion and Mac tells her that it is not far, at a place he has read about but never been to – a place that is supposedly the largest shopping center in the world…
…The West Edmonton Mall! As the trio of heroes descend to the sprawling complex, Elizabeth declares that she has seen cities smaller than it. Noticing a large gathering of people at one entrance to the mall, Mac sees that there are some officials among them and as they get closer he asks who is in charge. A man dressed in a suit, approaches Guardian and thanks him for coming, fearing that the two of “his people” that are already there would not be enough against “them”! Guardian suggests to the man that he give them a quick briefing, namely answering the questions of who is “them” and what is the size of their force. The man replies that he is not sure, for at first it seemed as if there were only three of them – two men and a woman – but suddenly there were hundreds! He reveals that they chased all the customers and staff out of the mall and now they are threatening to blow it up. Judd asks if there were any ransom demands, but the man replies that there wasn’t, and all he knows is that they call themselves…Omega Flight!
Guardian, Elizabeth and Judd are momentarily speechless until Mac takes lead and tells his companions that they will take the mall from three different angles, to get in and nail Omega Flight hard. Before Judd can enter the mall, the official mentions to him that his leader seemed upset. Puck replies that he had good reason – for he has fought with Omega Flight before, and they are the ones who killed him! The man just looks confused.
Moments later, Eugene Milton Judd walks stealthily through the West Edmonton Mall and noticing the amount of non-shopping attractions decides that it looks as if someone dropped a lid over Disneyland. He tells himself not to be surprised, as with theme parks and shopping malls much the rage it was only a matter of time until someone came along and combined the two in some way. Suddenly, a voice calls to Judd from behind him asking him what his rush is and whether he has time to say “hi” to an old friend. Judd turns around and as he says “who?” he is greeted with a kick in the face from Diamond Lil. Lillian Crawley sarcastically remarks that she is hurt Judd doesn’t remember her, but on the ground Judd just smiles and tells Lillian that he does remember her. Calling her “Creep-Crawley” he exclaims that she is the best figure this side of Aurora and the biggest ego this side of Northstar, he adds that Lil may be twice his height, but only half his brain power.
Judd flings himself up to the air and asks the sultry former Gamma Flight member if she forgot that it took more than a few kicks to take him out, even from a woman who is indestructible. He exclaims that he wants to find out if she is as hard as her namesake is but as Lil cries ‘Boss, now!’ Judd finds himself suspended in the air for something has grabbed hold of him. He asks how, as Lil cannot do that. Diamond Lil just smiles and tells Judd to ‘take a look’ as ‘some of us have friends in high places’. Judd looks up horrified at whom he sees he says ‘No, it cant be’ but the person he sees calls back that ‘it can’ and tosses Judd aside. Diamond Lil is told to go and collect Puck and meet them all at the rendezvous point.
Walking through a part of the mall filled with trees and a small lake, Elizabeth exclaims out loud that she thinks the mall is amazing, though doesn’t know whether to be impressed or grossed-out by all the money and effort used on it. ‘You always talk to yourself, Squaw?’ Elizabeth turns quickly at the offensive comment and sees a man in a white and black costume standing beside a rock, she realizes he must be a member of Omega Flight. ‘But which?’ she asks before saying that he is ‘obviously the one with the worst manners’. Gardner Monroe tells Elizabeth to ‘watch yer lip kid’ and introduces himself as Flashback. He boasts that he eats ‘punks like you for breakfast’.
Elizabeth walks over to the cocky former actor and asks him to excuse her for not falling down shivering and quivering. Flashback frowns as Elizabeth tells him that she may not know his powers but that he does not know hers either. Flashback tells Elizabeth that he doesn’t need to know her powers, and calling her a “brat” tells her to look behind herself. Unimpressed, Elizabeth doesn’t, and asks if she will ever get to fight anyone with some originality. Out of the corner of her eye however she sees someone behind her and dodges a branch being aimed at her as she realizes that there is more than one of Flashback.
Elizabeth suddenly becomes surrounded and Flashback informs her that he can summon one hundred versions of himself if he wishes too, all plucked out of his own future. Elizabeth compliments him on a nifty power but tells him that it is not good enough and charging her powers she informs Flashback that unless there us anything extraordinary about his future-selves then her powers should suffice. Suddenly she is knocked out by a blast from someone up in the air that tells Flashback to get Talisman and meet at the rendezvous point.
Meanwhile, flying through another part of the complex is the handsome Jean-Paul Beaubier, former founding mutant member of Alpha Flight, fed up to find himself again playing foolish games with a team he thought he was free of involvement with months ago. He wonders why he is here, as he has no interest in being a “super-hero”, even though his twin sister, Aurora enjoys it very much. Someone calls out to Northstar and Jean-Paul turns to see Wildchild. Kyle Gibney remarks that he is glad Jean-Paul remembers him, as one does not like to be forgotten by their enemies. Northstar declares that after the thrashing he gave Gibney last time they met he is surprised he would want to oppose him again.
Gibney reminds Northstar of how unkindly he treated him last time they met and asks Jean-Paul if he thinks it is time for a rematch. Jean-Paul does an aerial loop and flies downward towards the deformed former Gamma Flight member, declaring that while he may be as ruthless and savage as Wolverine, he does not have the skill, or the cunning. Northstar boasts that as he smashed Wildchild once before he shall do so again – until he himself smashes into something, falling to the ground. Wildchild tells the unconscious Jean-Paul that as last time he was smashed into a steel wall, it is only fair he gets his revenge, by slamming Northstar slamming into an invisible electromagnetic field barrier. A figure stands beside Wildchild and tells him not to bother with the explanations, as Northstar is in no condition to appreciate them. He tells him to wait at this point for the others, as he has one last ‘very special fish to fry’.
In the outfit she has donned as her official “costume” Heather Hudson walks past a comic book store in the mall and is surprised when Mac calls out to her. She tells him she is glad he is here and asks if the other Alphans are with him. Guardian replies that some of them are before asking her if she has seen the enemy. Heather says that she hasn’t, but from the descriptions would guess that the enemy is Diamond Lil, Flashback and Wildchild, but exclaims that for all she has seen of them the enemy may as well be the Invisible Girl. Heather asks Mac if he has seen them, and smiling he declares that he has. Shocked, Heather turns to her husband only to see him grinning, and she asks him some questions only to get confused before asking him to say what he said again.
Guardian asks Heather what he wishes her to say, and Heather exclaims that something has happened to his voice. Removing his cybernetic helmet, Mac asks Heather what she means by his voice is different and declares that it should still be a voice she remembers. Heather realizes that it is the voice of Jerry Jaxon- but Heather knows he is dead. Mac – if that is indeed who he is - asks Heather if she means “dead” as in the way Guardian was dead, and asking that if she could accept one resurrection then why not another? Highly confused, Heather exclaims in mixed up words that Jaxon was killed when Mac was killed, and Mac grabs one of Heather’s wrists and asks her if it isn't too confusing seeing her husband’s face with her enemy’s voice.
“Mac” pulls at his face and tells Heather that he will make it easier for her, ripping away at the skin he reminds Heather that last time they met he was looked and sounded like a woman called Delphine Courtney! ‘Oh no’ gasps Heather as the face is pulled away and Delphine declares that a robot can look and sound like anyone with just a little rebuilding and the proper syntho-skin covering. Heather is frozen in shock as Delphine remarks that she can change in anyway possible if it allows her to complete her programmed task, which she has already halfway succeeded in – the destruction of Alpha Flight!


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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Betrayal
The West Edmonton Mall, where Delphine Courtney, an evil robot wears the costume of the late Guardian, one of Canada’s finest super heroes, and after impersonating him to fulfill her programming – to destroy Alpha Flight – she exclaims that she has won. Unable to move because Delphine is holding onto her, Alpha Flight team leader, Heather Hudson asks the robot if she isn't getting a bit ahead of herself before remarking that she thought robots had super-accurate computers for brains. Delphine calms down and tells Heather that she is right, and that she was just getting ahead of herself, letting her delight carry her away. Delphine exclaims that if she exaggerates it is only by a slight degree and motions towards Omega Flight – Diamond Lil, Flashback and Wildchild – whom have each apprehended one of Alpha. Delphine declares that Puck, Talisman and Northstar have all been taken care of.
Defiantly, Heather boasts that there is still half of Alpha Flight left to bust up Delphine’s ‘little social club’, just like they have done before. Delphine asks Heather what the cost will be this time and reminds her that in the last encounter Omega Flight was successful in their primary task – the murder of James MacDonald Hudson, a.k.a. Guardian. However, Delphine states that the first mission was only partly completed, since their leader, Jerry Jaxon, was also killed and the rest of Omega Flight captured. Delphine reveals that it was she who freed all but one of Omega Flight and so with the team nearly restored then it will be easy enough to dispose of what remains of Alpha Flight.
Delphine asks Flashback to bring Talisman over to her, and as Elizabeth Twoyoungmen is dragged by the former member of Beta Flight, she asks why the robot is wearing Guardian’s costume before wondering why she cannot think straight. Delphine grabs Elizabeth and informs her that she is wearing Guardian’s costume because she has been posing as him, which was the most important element in her plan of revenge before informing her that she is groggy because she has been drugged. This was necessary to prevent her from sending a mystical signal to her father until Delphine was ready for her to. Delphine
Delphine tells Elizabeth to summon her father into the trap, to which Talisman replies that she will not. Delphine grabs Elizabeth by her neck and tells her that she is asking her to voluntarily summon Shaman, for it must be involuntarily so he will sense danger and bring Langkowski with him. ‘Go climb your thumb, creep’ snaps Elizabeth until the robot puts pressure on the hold and begins to choke Elizabeth declaring that her bravado is wasted, and Talisman utters a cry in pain.
Meanwhile, in Alpha Flight’s down town headquarters, Shaman uses his magickal powers on Aurora to heal her wounds and informs her that he has done all he can. Walter Langkowski, in the Box armor walks into the room and asks his friend how his lover is doing. Twoyoungmen reports that Aurora has three broken ribs, and smiling, Aurora tells Walter not to worry, as Shaman has taken good care of her. Michael reveals that he used an ancient herbal potion from his medicine pouch and that she should be fine in about a week. Walter leads the way down the hallway and as he mentions he is glad to hear Aurora will be okay he declares that he has good news of his own.
Walt asks Aurora and Twoyoungmen if they know about the “top secret” project he and Bochs have been working on, as it seems like it is about to come into effect. As the trio enters a lab, Aurora asks the wheelchair-bound Roger Bochs if he has found a body for Walter. Roger smiles and tells Aurora that he has found “something” before reminding everyone of how Walter’s body was destroyed in the final battle with the Great Beasts, and that his soul now resides in Roger’s own robot-body, Box. This is not a particularly satisfactory situation for either of them, as Roger created Box to free him from the restraints of the wheelchair.
Touching some buttons on a control panel, Bochs declares that as Walter is a very “physical” person, he is not happy inside the Box armor either. Roger reveals that because Walter’s Sasquatch body was from another dimension then they might be able to find a replacement from a similar source. With Shaman’s help, Roger was able to build an interdimensional scanner, and the computer screen turns on, displaying something, Roger believes he has hit ‘pay-dirt’. Shaman is shocked and reveals to Bochs that he seems to have tapped into a dimensional nexus – a crossroads of realities!
Roger smiles and tells Shaman that he has done more than that, although it is difficult to get a clear fix due to the shifting interface, but the crossroads seems to have an occupant who is tailor-made for their requirements. An image appears on the computer screen, but it is shady and hard to see. Even though he has no body, Walter smiles and reading the computer he sees that the creature is humanoid with virtually no brainwave pattern and ‘built like a brick ship-yard!’ Aurora smiles too and asks her boyfriend if he can put his mind into this other creature.
Walter informs Aurora that Bochs is working on a trans-dimensional probe – he stops talking and turns to Shaman, as does Roger, when they see something is wrong with him. Roger asks Shaman if he is all right, and Shaman who rests a hand against his head declares that he feels strange – suddenly, pain surges through him. Aurora grabs him to steady him and asks him what the matter is. Sweat rolls down Twoyoungmen’s face and reveals that there is terrible pain, but not physical pain, and not his pain, but sympathetic vibrations, and that the person is experiencing the pain is Elizabeth – someone is torturing Shamans’ daughter. He declares that they must go to her now.
Elsewhere, Yellowknife to be exact, the quaint home of RCMP officer Douglas Thompson, and more recently, the home of the goddess Narya, better known as former Alpha Flight powerhouse, Snowbird. Snowbird wraps her cloak around her naked body and leaves the bedroom, moments later Douglas follows her out. Doug asks Narya if anything is wrong, and Narya replies that she thought he was still sleeping and apologizes for waking him. Doug embraces Narya and tells her that he would rather be awake with her, but nevertheless he feels that something is wrong.
Snowbird tells Doug that she feels confused and feels that a great distress has come to her former teammates, and that she must return to Alpha Flight. Doug reminds Narya that Alpha Flight does not even know she is still on Earth. Snowbird says that she is aware of that fact but nevertheless cannot ignore the feeling she has and therefore must go to them. Narya removes her cloak and her costume appears on herself before she takes to the skies, exclaiming ‘the time has come for Snowbird to fly once more!’
Back at the West Edmonton Mall, a teleportation signal announces the arrival of Twoyoungmen, Walter and Aurora. Walt congratulates Shaman on his teleportation spell getting them across the country in little time, as Aurora wonders were they are and where the rest of Alpha Flight could be. Shaman informs Aurora that he cannot answer either of her questions as he simply bought them to this place by homing in on Talisman’s aura, however it looks like a shopping center. Leaning against a wall, Delphine Courtney has disguised herself as Guardian again and informs Shaman that they are at the biggest shopping center in the world and that he is glad they could make it.
Shaman starts to say that he sensed something before asking where the rest of Alpha Flight and his daughter are. “Guardian” motions to a corner of the mall and tells Twoyoungmen that Elizabeth is helping stand guard over Omega Flight, and that everything is fine. In fact though, Omega Flight is holding the unconscious members of Alpha Flight up to make it look like they are all right.
“Guardian” tells Shaman that there is one small thing that bothers him, that Smart Alec is not with Omega Flight, and he wants to know what happened to him. Shaman realizes that Mac would not know what happened to Smart Alec and reveals that Alec Thorne tried to steal his medicine pouch, however he looked into it, something that no one except his own daughter can do and survive. Therefore, explains Michael, Smart Alec was robbed of his mind and soul. He states that he did not know what to do with him and so he reduced Alec’s mindless body to the size of a small doll and he is inside the medicine pouch right now.
Shocked “Guardian” declares that what Shaman did was inhuman. Michael informs him that Puck felt the opposite – that it was too kind of a fate for a member of Omega Flight. Grabbing the medicine pouch from Shaman’s hip, “Guardian” declares that he will deal with Puck later, before taking to the air. Shaman cries out after “Guardian” and calls him to come back. Grinning, “Guardian” declares that that is not part of the plan. In a burst of light, Aurora flies after Delphine, reminding Shaman that Guardian cannot fly as fast as she. Shaman asks Aurora to wait, but she does not listen and so he sends Walter to fly after her, as she is in no state to go up against Guardian.
Aurora catches up to “Guardian” and tells him that while she doesn’t know what game he is playing, it is not to go any further. With his hand inside the pouch, “Guardian” tells Aurora that it is not a game anymore, as Omega Flight want Smart Alec back, and that he is going to get him for them. Delphine frowns and declares that Shaman lied, and tipping the pouch upside down proclaims that there is nothing in it. Delphine looks for a secret pocket of some sorts, but finding none decides to turn the pouch inside out – much to her horror.
Strange lights and shapes flow from the medicine pouch and Aurora tries to fly away from it declaring that it hurts her eyes to look at it, however it moves too fast, even for she and it pulls her. Suddenly Box grabs her, but much to Walter’s surprise he finds that for all his super strength he cannot pull Aurora out, nor can he let go of her, and he too is drawn into the void.
On the far side of the mall, the void closes in on the unconscious Alphans and the members of Omega Flight. Wildchild drops Elizabeth and declares that that was not part of the plan. Diamond Lil gets up off the floor and proclaims that it is some kind of ‘mystical energy bubble’ and that it is eating up everything in its path. Gardner “Flashback” Monroe tells Lillian Crawley to ‘save the instant analysis’ as they are in its path too! The three members of Omega Flight begin to run away as Wildchild asks ‘what about Alpha Flight?’ Diamond Lil tells Kyle to leave them, as the plan was to kill them eventually, and this void should take care of it.
Shaman curses Guardian – ‘if it is Guardian’ he adds for a fool for unleashing the universe that dwells beyond his medicine pouch, as uncontrolled it will grow and grow until everything is consumed by it. Shaman rushes over to the Alphans, knowing he must act quickly to contain it, however he cannot act alone, and that he has to risk the others to get Talisman clear. Shaman pulls his weary daughter off the ground and calls to her. Elizabeth starts to say something when Shaman tells her not to speak, but to save her strength for the task that lies ahead.
Looking at her father strangely, Talisman asks him what this “task” is, and hurrying her along Shaman informs her that it is the most dangerous threat that the nation, planet and Alpha Flight has ever faced. This it is something that can only be stopped by an equal force from within it and without it. Shaman reveals that he will be the force from without, while she will be the force from within. Looking back at the void, a horrified Elizabeth asks her father if he wants her to go inside ‘that?’  Shaman tells Elizabeth that she must, for the expanding void has already consumed Alpha Flight and with every second that passes they risk their lives and sanity.
Shaman reveals that the void is the madness, which lies beyond his medicine pouch, a madness of which only Elizabeth Twoyoungmen can face unscathed. Shaman declares that there is still a good chance that their friends are as yet unaffected, or he would not have risked this course of action. For Heather, Judd and Northstar appeared to be unconscious while Walter will be protected by the robotic armor, however Shaman fears for Aurora, whose split-personality puts her on the razors edge of sanity even at the best of times. Nervous, Elizabeth tells her father to stop talking as she is convinced. She declares that Alpha Flight are her friends and welcomed her into their ranks with no questions, but she feels so new still, and is worried about anything going wrong.
Shaman tells Elizabeth that he will monitor her progress and as she enters the rainbow colored void he calls out to her that he promises to keep her safe. Talisman enters the void, floating in it, she is astounded at what it looks like, for even though she didn’t know what to expect, this was not it. Elizabeth tells herself that nothing seems real, yet she is sure she is the one who is not real, and adds that she can see why being within the void would be hard on someone’s sanity. Talisman floats around in the void and wonders why she doesn’t get turned inside out like everyone else in the pouch, and while she knows she is supposed to be some kind of long prophesied “super-shaman”, she still feels like she is an eighteen year old art college student, not a wizard.
Talisman realizes that she doesn’t have any trouble maneuvering through ‘this nonsense’, for all she has to do is will herself in any given direction. Elizabeth tells herself to give up with the “twenty questions” and get down to saving Alpha Flight. Noticing how the void keeps shifting, Elizabeth realizes that it might be a hard task, for it seems as if the whole universe it turning on itself, and pushing out at the same time. Elizabeth notices something and realizes that it is her teammates, who are not too far away from her, she calls to them and tells them to stay where they are – not that they could hear her anyway – and she thinks to herself that this task may be easier than she thought – until she sees Aurora spiraling away from the others.
On the outside of the void, Shaman has realizes that his plan is working, for the very presence of a mystical force as powerful as his daughter is drawing back the edges of the expanding void. He holds it in place, to make certain it is a controlled collapse, as she will need time to locate Alpha and then get herself out of the void. Shaman exclaims that he is so proud of his daughter, and there has been little to bring him such joy, for his medical failure cost him Elizabeth’s mother and because he foolishly promised to save Kathryn that failure nearly cost him Elizabeth a well. Before the adventure which transformed Elizabeth into the Talisman they had not spoken in thirteen years.
Shaman sees Heather, the twins, Walter and Judd emerge from the void as it shrinks around them and deduces that they are unharmed but unconscious still. Seeing his daughter near the outer perimeter of the void he extends his hand to her, informing her that the void will continue to collapse on its own. Elizabeth tells her father to hurry when suddenly an electromagnetic blast sends Shaman flying back from the void and Elizabeth remains trapped within it.
Shaman cries out and looking up to the second level of the mall sees Delphine, who is holding Snowbird captive! Delphine tells Shaman that this development will be of interest to him and Shaman is shocked to see Narya, who with choked breath calls to Shaman to help her. Delphine asks Shaman why he is so surprised, as it was easy enough to get close to Snowbird when she approached, after all, Snowbird had no way of knowing Delphine was not Guardian. Snowbird asks Shaman what is happening until Delphine uses and electromagnetic pulse on her to quiet her.
Shaman curses Delphine, for in her human form, Snowbird is rather mortal, so Shaman knows he needs to help her. Elizabeth still trapped within the void asks her father to get her out first. Twoyoungmen tells Elizabeth that it will only take a moment, and that she needs to be brave as he reaches into the void, as he would his medicine pouch, he pulls from it a solution to the problem – and a grassy mass is thrown at Delphine and it covers the robot’s face. Shaman tells Narya that the spell will not hold Delphine long and the goddess flies down towards her former teammate.
Snowbird thanks Shaman before asking whom it is that is masquerading as their former leader. Shaman tells Narya that he has no time for explanations and turns to the void to rescue Elizabeth, only to his dismay he sees that the collapsing of the void accelerated and is almost gone. Elizabeth cries out shrilly from the void and extends a hand when her father tells her to fight against the mystic forces, for she has the power. Scared, Elizabeth replies that she cannot and all Michael Twoyoungmen can do is say ‘no’ over and over again as the void shrinks back into the pouch and Elizabeth’s final words are ‘Help me! You promised!’
Shaman lets out a cry as he sticks his hand into the pouch, before beginning he begins to weep. Snowbird stands at his side and he exclaims that nothing can be drawn from the pouch that is bigger than the mouth of the pouch. He declares that he has failed his daughter as he failed to save her mother, as he has failed so many times over and over. While she is concerned for her friend, the more pressing issue for Snowbird at the moment, is the fact that ‘the Talisman has been consumed by the void!’