Issue(s): Alpha Flight #35
Cover Date: Jun 86
Title: "The child is father to the man"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
David Ross - Penciler
Garry Talaoc - Inker
Carl Potts - Editor

Review/plot:
This issue begins the run of "Canada's own" David Ross on pencils.

This issue is largely a Vision Quest that the media has taught me that Native Americans must occasionally go on.

In this case it's about Shaman regaining his powers. At the end of his quest, he confronts Talisman...

...and gets a lecture from the spirit of his grandfather. And he gets a new costume and some new accoutrements.

Some of Shaman's new powers are derived from the Inuits, even though they and Shaman's people, the Sarcee, were mortal foes in ancient days. Bill Mantlo apparently read a book on Canadian Native American culture called People of the Deer by Farley Mowat was damned if he wasn't going to use a good bit about colossal statues no matter who they were supposed to be made by.

Shaman shows off his new powers against the animated skeletons of ancient viking warriors that robbed the Sarcee.

Also in this issue, Heather vows to stop whining.

That is welcome! However, after becoming suspicious that her late husband had been manipulating her and Wolverine, she ignores Puck's romantic overtures, which he blames on his (mystical) dwarfism.

Heather and Puck arrive at Alpha Flight's headquarters to find Snowbird suffering.

And we continue to build to the story with Marrina. She's been captured by Attuma's forces and is tortured for information on the Sub-Mariner, which in her semi-monstrous state she's unable to provide.

But we also learn that since Namor abdicated the throne, Atlantis has descended into Civil War, and the Atlanteans, once again proving how useless they are without Namor, turned to Attuma for help. So he's actually in control of the kingdom at this point.

This is also the first time we see him without his helmet.

Shaman arrives at Alpha's headquarters to help Snowbird at the end of this issue.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - new costume for Shaman and he gets his powers back

Chronological Placement Considerations: See the Considerations for Secret Wars II #9. I have Alpha Flight appearing there between last issue and this one, with Puck getting returned by Phoenix to where he was taken so that he can rejoin Heather (who was not in SW II #9) before she flies home. There's a little gag (and that's a pun!) about Puck's lunch which confirms this takes place soon after last issue, but the gap between issues is the only place to fit the Secret Wars appearances, so we're going with a "Rachel did it" explanation, albeit one that's relatively harmless. I wasn't sure if the Talisman appearing here was meant to be the real one or a spirit vision, but the MCP does list her as appearing.

References:

• "The Sub-Mariner and Marrina's "brief but passionate love affair was chronicled in Alpha Flight #14-16."
  
• A Lord Dara says that it was him, Vashti, Warlord Thakos, and High Priest Shakkoth that forced Namor off the throne in Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner #4.
  
• Heather says that she hasn't seen Snowbird looking so ill since the X-Men/Alpha Flight miniseries.
  
• It's said that since Shaman delivered her into the mortal world in the back-up from Alpha Flight #7 that only he can help her now.
  
• Shaman rushed Talisman into putting on the headband that she can't remove in Alpha Flight #19.
  
• Talisman was already predisposed to be angry at her father after he promised to save her mother but failed in the back-up from Alpha Flight #5. And he later failed to save her from the Void in Alpha Flight #26.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A