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Alpha Flight #39: Review

Oct 1986

Bill Mantlo, David Ross

Story Name:

The Invasion of Atlantis

Review & Comments

Rating:

Alpha Flight #39 Review by T Vernon (October 28, 2023)

Comments: The Marrina incident took place in ALPHA FLIGHT #15.

Review: Nicely put together tale lays out the moral and personal issues of this mission against Atlantis in addition to showing us some rather cool fight scenes. I’m not that familiar with Alpha Flight or I would have more to say.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Alpha Flight #39 Synopsis by T Vernon

Story continued from AVENGERS #271.

Alpha Flight returns to their Tamarind Island homebase by air but sensors detect an intruder. Vindicator dispatches Northstar and Aurora to carry Puck down to deal with it while the others land in the Omnijet behind. Puck confronts their visitor who introduces himself as Byrrah, cousin to Prince Namor of Atlantis, seeking the aid of Alpha Flight. The team assembles and Byrrah explains the situation to them all. When they hear Marrina is a prisoner of the conqueror Attuma, Snowbird proposes they rescue her. Her husband Doug Thompson objects, noting that they just lost their child (previous issue); Snowbird refers to her marriage and childbearing as mistakes she needs to forswear and perhaps the gods will forgive her. Doug is upset and departs. The team raises the issue of Atlantis being a sovereign nation: as Alpha Flight represents Canada, attacking Atlantis would be an act of war. Puck points out that Marrina never returned to the team because she was introduced to her true mate, unleashing the monstrous side of her personality, causing her to flee Alpha Flight and Namor in shame….

Suddenly, Gary Cody, their liaison with the Canadian government, appears on their viewscreen to prohibit them from going to Atlantis. The team now realizes that Cody has their headquarters bugged and has been spying on them. They consider this a breach of their contract and Vindicator destroys the viewscreen. They decide to rescue Marrina and worry about the government later….

In the Omnijet, as they discuss the mission, Byrrah addresses Roger Bochs as “cripple” and Northstar rebukes him. Vindicator is happy to see Northstar showing team spirit, especially as Shaman and Snowbird have been drawing away from the team. Madison Jeffries raises another question viz. isn’t Byrrah Namor’s enemy? He answers that it is a matter of royal blood and Attuma has none. Jeffries also unveils deep-sea pressure suits he has designed for those that need them. Roger phases into his armor to become Box. Then the Atlanteans shoot down the Omnijet which Box transmutes into a life raft where Alpha Flight makes its stand against the
Atlantean attackers. A huge undersea craft is suddenly hurled into the air in two pieces. Meanwhile, Snowbird transforms into a white whale while Shaman commands air spirits to carry Jeffries to the surface before he drowns. Puck persuades Snowbird to attack the enemy. They see more warriors coming but…

…it’s Namor and the Avengers (Captain America, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau), Wasp, Hercules, Black Knight). Introductions are hastily made, including Heather revealing she was the wife of the late leader Guardian and Cap explains that the ruined ship she saw was thrown into the sky by Hercules and Namor. Namor explains to the group that their mission is to rescue Marrina and not to reclaim his throne as he has come to accept that the Atlanteans had good reasons for overthrowing him. To Byrrah, this revelation makes Namor more noble and he makes plans to persuade Namor to return as King….

As the battle rages underwater, Attuma appears on the scene, with Marrina. Namor attacks his enemy directly while ordering Northstar to carry Marrina to the surface—but they are surrounded by Atlantean troops. The Avengers and Alpha Flight try to break through the cordon, hoping to get away quickly but they are all surrounded as well. Attuma prepares to give the order to kill them all….

Story continued in AVENGERS #272.

Barberoids 1 cover original artwork on ebay

Bill Mantlo

David Ross

Whilce Portacio

Bob Sharen

Mike Mignola (Cover Penciler)
P. Craig Russell (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)

Letterer: Jim Novak.
Editor: Carl Potts. Editor-in-chief: Jim Shooter.

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Alpha Flight

Attuma

Avengers

Black Knight
(Dane Whitman)

Captain America
(Steve Rogers)

Hercules

Sub-Mariner
(Namor)

Wasp
(Janet Van Dyne)

Plus: Aurora, BOX (Roger Bochs), Byrrah, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau), Doug Thompson, Gary Cody, Madison Jeffries, Marrina, Northstar, Puck, Shaman, Snowbird, Vindicator.

> Alpha Flight: Book info and issue index

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