ALPHA FLIGHT #4

"RESOLUTIONS!"
Writer-Artist: John Byrne | Letterer: Rick Parker | Colorist: Andy Yanchus
Editor: Denny O'Neil | Resolved: Jim Shooter

The Plot: The Invisible Girl and Namor, the Sub-Mariner, explore the North Pole in search of a mysterious force which weakened Namor. They locate a complex hidden beneath the sea, but it lashes out, destroying Sue’s Fantasticar.

Inside the complex, the members of Canada’s resident super-team, Alpha Flight, are embroiled in a quest for their missing teammate, Marrina. But Sue and Namor find her first, having snuck inside after being saved from the explosion by one of Sue’s force fields. They watch as the complex’s Master explains Marrina’s origins to her, then they leap into action against him.

Soon, Alpha Flight meets up with Sue, Namor, and Marrina, having damaged the complex to the point that it is near exploding. The heroes escape in one of Sue’s force fields, then go their separate ways.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: We’re reminded that in FANTASTIC FOUR 260, Namor came to the North Pole to learn what had sent the native barbarians south in fear to Atlantis. Sue also reminds Namor that her husband is missing and she should be home looking for him, and that the Silver Surfer is injured at the Baxter Building.

The self-styled “Master of the World” explains Marrina’s origins to her:

In a continuity touch I appreciate, Sue calls Guardian by the wrong code-name, unaware that as of ALPHA FLIGHT #2, he changed it.

At the story’s end, Namor declares that he will bring the amphibious Marrina back to Atlantis with him.

It's interesting to note that even though the FF's costumes changed to black-and-white some time ago, all their gear is still blue. Also, the "4" emblem on Sue's parka and the Fantasticar has the drop shadow from the classic uniforms, which is not part of the newer outfits. I really like this touch from Byrne. Makes sense the FF wouldn't necessarily re-brand everything they own. Even if their uniforms are different, their trademarked logo is still the original. (See Sue's uniform and parka at right for a perfect example of this.)

As this is an issue of ALPHA FLIGHT, there are a number of their sub-plots addressed. In a nutshell: Walter “Sasquatch” Langowski learns that Jeanne-Marie “Aurora” Beaubier suffers from multiple personality disorder. Walter also reveals to team leader James MacDonald “Guardian” Hudson that he and Aurora have been intimate. We’re also told that Marrina nearly killed a human after being summoned to the Master’s ship, and in the story’s final scene, Guardian explains to Marrina’s adoptive brother that she will not be coming home.

Is It Clobberin' Time? Well, it’s an issue of ALPHA FLIGHT and the Thing’s not in it… so I’m gonna say no.

My Thoughts: Not much to say as far as the Fantastic Four go here. This is just a quick diversion for Sue before the story returns to the pages of FF. However since it continues directly from FANTASTIC FOUR 260 and is written and drawn by John Byrne, I felt it should be covered.

So, with some space available, let’s quickly talk about Alpha Flight’s junior member, Marrina. According to John Byrne, he was going to name her Marina. Because she’s aquatic. Make sense, right? But Byrne says that Jim Shooter told him he couldn’t do that, because a marina is a place where you moor boats, not a name.

Huh?

So Byrne added an “R” to the middle of her name and called her Marrina instead. Apparently this is meant to be pronounced the same way as “marina”. Thing is, to my eye, that extra “R” changes the pronunciation. For years I thought this character’s name was MAR-in-uh rather than Muh-REEN-uh. Ironically, it’s the reverse of the way I (and many others) thought Namor’s codename was Sub-Ma-REEN-er rather than the correct Sub-MAR-in-er. I mean, I know “Marriner” isn’t a word, but if it was, I would never have been in doubt about how Namor’s name was supposed to sound.

English is a funny language.