Issue(s): Alpha Flight #78
Cover Date: Dec 89
Title: "Omens"
Credits:
James Hudnall - Writer
John Calimee - Penciler
Mike Manley - Inker
Marc McLaurin - Assistant Editor
Carl Potts - Editor

Review/plot:
This is a kind of weird overview type issue. I guess it answers the question, "Hey, wouldn't Dr. Strange know if a powerful wizard like Llan the Sorcerer was causing trouble on Earth?", but mainly his appearance is just a device to jump around from character to character and show us what's going on with them.

Let me just say up front that i continue to be fascinated by the art. The similarities to Mike Allred amaze me, but while i feel like there's an ironic nature to Allred's art (whose career was just starting around this time), John Calimee is maybe doing the same thing earnestly. Although i have to admit i'm not really sure what i mean by that.

I guess let's just go around the room and see what everyone is up to. We'll start with the villains. We're introduced to a new superhero in Brazil called Captain Forsa.

He's immediately killed by a character called Zeitgeist.

Zeitgeist will later turn out to be the existing super-weirdo Every-Man.

Also on the villains' side, Llan the Sorcerer revives the Master of the World.

Note that Llan says that Marrina's children are the children of the Sub-Mariner as well, contra to what Namor told himself in Solo Avengers #17. Llan also says that Marrina is sleeping a false death. And that he's going to send Zeitgeist after Alpha Flight.

One other bit of information: it looks like Marrina's eggs have hatched. This comes from one of Dr. Strange's visions.

Now on to the heroes. Vindicator and Talisman are scoping out a new headquarters location.

Talisman tells Vindicator, 'I know you're the leader and all, but we have to move into this base because i say so'.

Also notice Talisman flipping Zeitgeist's power vs. knowledge/wisdom comment, whatever that's about.

Now Sasquatch. He shows up at his wife's place and tells her that he's a man again, baby, so so much for your claim on his money.

Goofy expression and posture!

Next, Madison Jeffries and Diamond Lil visit Shaman and Puck in the hospital. Puck feels like he's being squeezed. Seriously? It doesn't occur to anyone what that might mean?

Madison and Lil don't tell the others that they are seeing each other, because Madison hasn't told Heather yet.

And that's it. Unfortunately, Dr. Strange is not going to be able to do anything about it, at least for now, thanks to Acts of Vengeance and the stuff going on in his own book.

Dr. Strange will eventually show up in Alpha Flight again in issue #86.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Since the Avengers are coming to tell Dr. Strange about Acts of Vengeance, this obviously takes place after Acts of Vengeance has begun. In fact, the MCP places this after Doctor Strange #11, which is an Acts of Vengeance issue. The MCP also gives a BTS appearance to Thor, so i guess that's the Avenger(s) that has arrived to tell Strange about AoV. I'm fitting Thor's visit to Dr. Strange in at the same time that he and Captain America tried to go to the Fantastic Four's building after Avenger #311/during Fantastic Four #334.

References:

• The city of Edmonton offered to give Alpha Flight a home after they rescued the city from the Dream Queen in Alpha Flight #67-70.
  
• Madison Jeffries says there's been no sign of the Sorcerer since the slaughter in Alpha Flight #76.
  
• The Master of the World has been "underwater for some time now", since Alpha Flight #16.
  
• In addition to Acts of Vengeance, Dr. Strange is occupied by the situation with his brother Vic, from Doctor Strange #10.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Annoyingly, Zeitgeist never shows up in this book, and eventually Gruenwald uses him in Captain America. The Master eventually encounters Alpha Flight again, but it has nothing to do with Llan. Marrina's kids next appear in a Quasar story. And the line about Marrina being alive is forgotten about for a LONG time. (If they wanted to keep Namor single, they could have just said that under Atlantean law, being declared dead ends a marriage, since several countries have a similar law.)

Captain "Forsa" is not a spelling anyone in Brazil would use (nor is "Senor"), but the characterization is spot on for a hypothetical Brazilian superhero.

Jeffries looks here like he is twenty years younger

Totally jersey foul by Madison here.

Flames won the cup in 89, Mark.

@kveto from prague a jersey foul is when you wear an NHL jersey with your name/a nickname/a joke/etc. I was being tongue in cheek referring to Madison having the nickname 'Jef' on his jersey, not commenting on the relevance of having a Flames jersey in the comic book (even if I am a Habs fan and that 89 final was heartbreaking).

I do wonder though if Lil would approve, considering she seems to be from Edmonton and probably is an Oilers fan for life. I'd want her on my team support staff.

Gotcha. I thought the jersey foul was him wearing a Calgary kit when heading for Edmonton.