Alpha Flight (comic book)

Alpha Flight
Cover to Alpha Flight (vol. 1) #1. Art by John Byrne
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Schedule	Ongoing (vol. 1-3) Limited (vol. 4)
Format	Ongoing series
Genre	Superhero
Publication date(s)	(Vol. 1) August 1983 – March 1994 (Vol. 2) August 1997 – March 1999 (Vol. 3) May 2004 – April 2005 (Vol. 4) July 2011 – January 2012
No. of issues	(vol. 1) 130, 2 annuals (vol. 2) 20, 1 annual (vol. 3) 12 (vol. 4) 8
Main character(s)	Alpha Flight
Creative team
Written by	(vol. 1) John Byrne (1-28) Bill Mantlo (29-67) James Hudnall (68-86) Fabian Nicieza (87-101) Scott Lobdell (102-108) Simon Furman (110-112, 114-130) (vol. 2) Steven Seagle (vol. 3) Scott Lobdell (vol. 4) Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente
Penciller(s)	(vol. 1) John Byrne (1-28) Michael Mignola (29-31) Jon Bogdanove (32) Sal Buscema (33-34) Dave Ross (35-44) June Brigman(45-50) Jim Lee (51-62) (vol. 2) Scott Clark (vol. 3) Clayton Henry (vol. 4) Dale Eaglesham
Inker(s)	(vol. 1) John Byrne (1-14) Gerry Talaoc (29-38) Whilce Portacio (39-54) Al Milgrom (58-65) (vol. 2) Chris Carlson (vol. 3) Mark Morales (vol. 4) Andrew Hennessy
Letterer(s)	(vol. 1) Joe Rosen Jim Novak Ken Bruzenak (vol. 2) Albert Deschesne Richard Starkings (vol. 3) Richard Starkings
Colorist(s)	(vol. 1) Andy Yanchus Bob Sharen Glynis Oliver (vol. 2) Lee Ann Garner (vol. 3) Avalon Studios
Editor(s)	(vol. 1) Denny O'Neil Carl Potts (vol. 2) Jaye Gardner (vol. 3) Mike Marts Stephanie Moore Cory Sedlmeier
Collected editions
Alpha Flight Classic Volume 1 (vol. 1 #1–8)	ISBN
Alpha Flight Classic Volume 2 (vol. 1 #9–16)	ISBN
Alpha Flight Volume 1 (vol. 3 #1–6)	ISBN
Alpha Flight Volume 2 (vol. 3 #7–12)	ISBN
Omega Flight: Alpha to Omega (Omega Flight #1–5)	ISBN
Alpha Flight by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente Volume 1 (vol. 4 #0.1, 1–4)	ISBN

Alpha Flight is the name of several comic book titles featuring the team Alpha Flight and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original Alpha Flight comic book series from 1983 to 1994.

Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in X-Men #120 (April 1979). The team was originally merely a part of the backstory of the X-Men’s Wolverine but, in 1983, Marvel launched an eponymous series featuring the group, which continued until 1994, lasting 130 issues as well as annuals and miniseries. Three short-lived revivals have been attempted since, most recently an eight-issue limited series in 2011-12, after the resurrection of the team in the one shot comic Chaos War: Alpha Flight during the Chaos War event.

Though reluctant to take the job, John Byrne wrote and drew the series for 28 issues before handing it off to another creative team. During that time, the series storylines generally dealt with the personal problems of one or two characters at a time, seldom bringing all the members together or confronting problems outside of the team itself, an approach which drew some criticism.

Byrne left, trading titles with then-Incredible Hulk scribe Bill Mantlo, who stepped in to become the series's longest-running writer. Later writers on Alpha Flight include James Hudnall, Fabian Nicieza, Scott Lobdell & Simon Furman. Byrne's successor as penciler was Mike Mignola, and subsequently Dave Ross, another Canadian, though he claims that his nationality was not a factor in his being chosen for the series, and that Marvel even sent him a box full of Canadian reference material after he was given the assignment.

In Alpha Flight #106 (1992), writer Scott Lobdell was given permission to have the character Northstar state, "I am gay." As the first major, openly gay character created by Marvel Comics, Northstar generated significant publicity in the mainstream press and Alpha Flight #106 sold out in a week, despite the fact that the series was not a very popular title. It is the only comic book issue to have been inducted into the Gaylactic Hall of Fame. The event was also controversial, and almost no mention was made of his sexual orientation for the remainder of the first Alpha Flight series.