This has been a comic that I have been wanting to talk about for some time. And since it's Pride Month, I thought this month would be the perfect time to talk about it. Appropriately enough, the comic we're talking about here focuses on a character who's graced this blog before. An ex-Olympian, superhero, and arguably the most hotheaded Canadian not named Logan in the Marvel Universe: Jean-Paul Beaubier, aka Northstar.
Back in June 2019, I looked at his first full appearance in Uncanny X-Men #121 (May 1979). I then went on to review Alpha Flight #7 (February 1984), which was the first comic to delve into his past. And now, with this comic, we're going to look at one of the most heartbreaking moments of his life. Not just as a superhero, but as a man. This is Alpha Flight #106!
The cover is a Mark Pacella and Bob McLeod piece, and...I'll be honest. This is arguably one of the ugliest comic covers I have ever seen. It depicts Northstar screaming in...rage? Frustration? Pain because he stepped on a Lego piece? Either way, it's not that greatly drawn. The mouth and jaw look really stretched to me, like the speedster suddenly gained Plastic Man's powers.
"The Walking Wounded"
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Pnciler: Mark Pacella
Inker: Dan Panosian
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Editors: Bobbie Chase, Chris Cooper
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco
The story begins with an old man watching a tape of a documentary about himself.
This man is no ordinary man. In his civilian life, he is Louis Sadler Sr. But back in World War II, he was known by other names. The Nazis called him "The Great White North" and "The Toronto Terminator". But to the freedom-loving world, he was Major Mapleleaf. Back in those days, he would occasionally join the WWII-era superhero team known as the Invaders to, well, do what they do best: Beat the tar out of Nazis.
After the war, Sadler continued to fight crime underground. But then he would retire and start a family. He pauses the documentary showing him cradling his newborn son Michael. Overwhelmed by grief, the elder superhero hugs his TV.
I know what you're thinking. This book is called "Alpha Flight", right? So, where are the titular team? Well, they're right here, fighting Mr. Hyde in Toronto.
Alphans Sasquatch, Guardian (Heather Hudson), and Northstar are fighting long-time supervillain Mr. Hyde. The nightmare from Robert Louis Stevenson smacks Northstar into an alley. The super-fast mutant hears a noise. He turns garbage cans over until he manages to find the source.
A little baby girl, abandoned and malnourished. She's still alive, so the ex-skier rushes to the nearest hospital, leaving Sasquatch and Guardian to take care of Mr. Hyde. Three weeks later, the team are gathered at the hospital. The baby girl that Northstar had found has a fever, and the super-fast mutant wants to know why she's so sick. The doctor arrives and gives Northstar a grim announcement.
It's presumed that the girl was infected with HIV in the womb. Jean-Paul Beaubier may be an impatient man. A temperamental man. But the man does have a heart, and he clearly is devastated by this announcement. Keep in mind, at this time, AIDS was basically a death sentence.
Time passes another three weeks. Louis Sadler is watching TV, when he sees a news report. The baby girl that Northstar found is a hit with the media. The girl's given the name "Joanne Beaubier", and she's been regarded as an unofficial member of Alpha Flight. Louis watches as the report talks about Guardian speaking up for increased awareness of the AIDS virus. This fills the former wartime hero with rage, and he smashes his TV.
Back at the hospital, Puck is trying to get Northstar to take a break. He's not going to do anyone any favors by never leaving the hospital. The speedster reluctantly agrees, as he just wants to spend as much time as he can with little Joanna before her inevitable passing. The two talk in the hallway, but their conversation is interrupted.
An enraged Major Mapleleaf attacks little Joanne's room, ranting that he's lost everything he's ever loved. He is about to attack Joanne, but Northstar saves her. The two end up having a brawl, where it's revealed why the old man is in a rage...his son Michael had died of AIDS. The Major did everything he could to save his beloved child, but in the end, could only watch as the virus claimed him. His son Michael was a gay man. The Major implies that because of this, people ignored Michael's suffering, whereas Joanne is being treated like a star.
Louis points out that like Joanne, Michael Sadler did nothing to "deserve" getting sick. He was a good man, but due to his orientation, he "didn't rate". Northstar angrily retorts that Major Mapleleaf has no right to lecture on the hardships of being a gay man. The ex-skier knows that all too well, being a gay man himself.
The two continue to brawl, Mapleleaf ranting that Northstar is just as responsible for Michael's death because he kept his sexual orientation hidden. That the ex-skier is no different from the politicians that refuse to address the AIDS crisis. Northstar takes down the former hero with a super-fast barrage of punches, saying that he was no more at fault for Michael's death than Michael himself was. Despite all of that, he does agree with the Major one one thing: It's past time that the crisis was addressed. Not just for the lives the virus claimed, but for those the lost leave behind.
Presumably, more time passes. The doctors tell Northstar and Major Mapleleaf that little Joanne Beaubier is dying. There's nothing more they can do for her. They let Northstar hold her, and her last moments of life are spent in his arms, him saying a little prayer for her. Louis Sadler comforts the younger man, assuring him that Michael will watch over her in the next world, like Jean-Paul did in this one. The story ends with a newspaper headline. Northstar is shown holding a press conference where he formally comes out as a gay man to the world.
I personally liked this story. One thing about the story did bother me, though. Where was Aurora during this? She's Northstar's twin sister, you'd think that she would have been involved more in this story. After all, Joanne was her adopted niece, and she was on the team at the time. It would have been nice to see her and Northstar talk about little Joanne.
I admittedly also felt that the appearance of Major Mapleleaf here was a major (heh) missed opportunity. I would have maybe liked it if Louis joined Alpha Flight after this. If Alpha Flight is Canada's Avengers, then he could have become their Cap. The comic hinted that he and Puck knew each other, I would have loved to have seen that expanded on. Also, it would have been neat to see Louis and Northstar develop a father-son relationship. It was clear that Louis clearly cared about his son Michael, and maybe he could think of Northstar as another son. I think it would have been so wonderful to see Louis to walk Jean-Paul down the aisle in Astonishing X-Men #51 (August 2012).
Louis Sadler, Sr. would not be the only Major Mapleleaf. In the first issue of the third Alpha Flight series (2004), his second son Louis Edmond Sadler Jr. was introduced. This Major Mapleleaf did not inherit his father's powers, faking having them with the help of a superpowered horse named Thunder. Stories with this character implied that Sadler Sr. was neglectful and abusive towards Sadler Jr, something Mapleleaf II vehemently denied. Sadler Jr. died in New Avengers #16 (April 2006).
Its biggest weakness is obviously the art. It's...not great. Mark Parcella's art to me comes off like he's trying to imitate Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld. Which does make sense. Their art styles were popular in the early-90s.
If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2020 trade paperback Marvel Comics: The World Outside Your Window. Thanks for reading this blog entry!
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