Vindicator (comics)

Vindicator
Vindicator. Art by Clayton Henry
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Uncanny X-Men #139 (Nov 1980)
Created by	Chris Claremont John Byrne
In-story information
Alter ego	Heather MacNeil Hudson
Team affiliations	Department H Alpha Flight Alpha Prime Alpha Strike
Notable aliases	Guardian
Abilities	Flight Force field generation Ability to manipulate geothermal energies

Vindicator (Heather MacNeil Hudson) also known as Guardian, is a fictional character, a Canadian superheroine in the Marvel Universe, and a former leader of Alpha Flight (the codename Vindicator is also briefly used by Heather's husband, James MacDonald Hudson, although he eventually settles on the name Guardian).

Heather Hudson first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #139 (Nov 1980) and was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.

Heather was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She was originally a secretary at Amcam corporation, where she fell in love with James MacDonald Hudson. After he had stolen his power suit to prevent it from being used as a military weapon, Heather discovered his secret and decided to share it with him. Soon after they were married.

Heather supported her husband in the forming of Department H and his becoming a superhero. She also assisted Wolverine in a time of trouble before his career with the X-Men, and was later reunited with him.

After Department H is dissolved, Heather brought the members of the disbanded Alpha Flight together to battle Tundra of the Great Beasts. With this initiative creating a spectacular success, the team decided to continue operating Alpha Flight as an independent group. Before Alpha Flight had been back together for long, Heather witnessed the apparent death of James Hudson. She was then injured attempting to rescue a child from an alien Plodex.

Heather is asked by the members of Alpha Flight to take over leadership of the team when her husband James, the leader of Alpha Flight, is apparently killed. She accepts, though initially she leads purely as a non-combatant. She led Alpha Flight on a mission with the X-Men, and was temporarily transformed by the mystic Fire Mountain. This transforms her into a state Loki refers to as a 'demi-god'. She has increased leadership abilities along with vague powers that put her above all other humans. She rejects these powers when all involved learn it would come at the cost of humanity's creativity and the lives of anyone magical, such as her two friends Shaman and Snowbird. She was briefly "reunited" with what she thought was James Hudson, but who really turned out to be an impostor - the robot Delphine Courtney. Her body was temporarily distorted by Scramble, and then she was captured by Deadly Ernest.