Alpha Flight #93-94 : SuperMegaMonkey : chronocomic

1991-02-01 00:05:10
Previous:
Amazing Spider-Man #344 Up:
Main
1991 / Box 30 / EiC: Tom DeFalco
Next:
Master of Kung Fu: Bleeding Black #1

Issue(s): Alpha Flight #93, Alpha Flight #94
Cover Date: FEb-Mar 91
Title: "Playgrounds of the mind" / "Mind over matter"
Credits:
Fabian Nicieza - Writer
Michael Bair - Penciler
Mike Mankey - Inker
Eric Fein - Assistant Editor
Danny Fingeroth - Editor

Review/plot:
Well, um. Headlok. One of my favorite characters. If nothing else, he's good for a big team vs. team fight, and the Fantastic Four are brought in for that purpose.

The ones controlled by Headlok are called the Headbangers. Just because they want to hurt me.

The art continues to be terrible. Belive it or not, the old man to the left of Mr. Fantastic in the scan below is Walter Langkowski.

And the random lines continue to give me a Headake.

One development of sorts is that Headlok's dialogue in these issues is a lot like characters like Madcap or Impossible Man, full of irreverent pop culture references and other such things. So yet another way in which this comic is out to do me harm.

In his only previous appearance to date, West Coast Avengers #10, he spoke in standard villain highspeak.

Headlok's motive in this story is to just experience the thrill of physical combat. Which was actually what he wanted in his previous appearance as well.

I feel Sasquatch's pain on this one.

There is some fall out from this fight: Aurora has decided that she's tired of using her powers for fighting, and Windshear is feeling bad because he's a rookie that doesn't do well in combat. Also, separately, Diamond Lil has found a lump under her breast. All of these things will be developed further next issue, which is billed as "A very special and unique issue".

Statement of Ownership Total Paid Circulation: Average of Past 12 months = 73,953. Single issue closest to filing date = 96,120.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The Thing is in human form and using an exoskeleton (he and Johnny only came along to catch a hockey game), placing this before Fantastic Four #350. We saw the Fantastic Four noticing the threat of Headlok last issue (AF #92) but that doesn't mean they went there directly, and in any event this story begins in media res, after the fight has already begun.

References:

Mr. Fantastic recognizes Headlok from the Avengers' encounter with him in West Coast Avengers #10.
Headlok makes Mr. Fantastic feel the guilt of all the deaths he's allowed by saving Galactus in Fantastic Four #244.
And the Invisible Woman feels the pain of her miscarriage from Fantastic Four #267.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Inbound References (1): show

Characters Appearing: Aurora, Diamond Lil, Guardian (James Mac Hudson), Headlok, Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Madison Jeffries, Mr. Fantastic, Northstar, Puck, Sasquatch, Shaman, Thing, Vindicator (Heather Hudson), Windshear, Witchfire

Previous:
Amazing Spider-Man #344 Up:
Main
1991 / Box 30 / EiC: Tom DeFalco
Next:
Master of Kung Fu: Bleeding Black #1

Comments

This issue brings me a question about The torch i sometimes wonder about: when you fight him, what is going to happen? Will he burn you alive? What else can he do?

Posted by: Jay Gallardo | September 13, 2015 7:55 PM

John Byrne answered tgat question wonderfully in his second issue as writer on Fantastic Four. He does stuff like fly up and punch them by selectively extinguishing his fists, create a cage of fire to hold them while he calls the police, and so forth.

Posted by: Omar Karindu | November 28, 2015 10:49 PM

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