Puck Part 46: Alpha Flight #48 (July, 1987)

Puck confronts a new villain…at the cost of another Alphan.

I have this issue.

Judd is battle bruised after Alpha Flight #46 where both Box and Sasquatch fell on him, and looks on as Bochs is encased in liquid as his legs begin decaying. He tries to give Roger some support, telling him the team will help him, while at the same time seeing himself as obsolete.

Madison Jefferies suggests they take Roger to his brother at New Life Clinic, which Northstar quickly agrees with. Judd goes along with the idea, in part because he suspects Northstar is looking for a cure to his own sickness, but also because Judd wants Lionel to heal his own wounds and possibly cure his dwarfism.

The team arrives at the clinic, where Lionel Jefferies quickly restores Judd to full health, and they decide to stay as Lionel begins treatment on Roger. After waiting for quite some time, Northstar comes barging into the waiting room saying he’s being followed by an amalgam of Bochs and Lionel Jefferies…calling itself Omega. Heather orders the team to use lethal force if necessary to stop Omega, but it’s a losing battle. By issue’s end, Judd is caught in some of Omega’s tendrils.

Notes of Interest:

1) While waiting at the clinic, Judd mentions that some societies blame the doctor when the mortality rate of the area noticeable declines, suggesting he’s seen it happen first hand.

2) This is the first time Judd faces off against Omega.

WTF? Moment: At the end of Alpha Flight #46, Judd is seen standing straight, looking healthy, in an A-shirt and shorts. But here, taking place almost exactly after #46, he’s in full costume and bandaged up. I’ll concede that Judd could have been high on adrenaline at the time and had no idea how busted up he was, but taking the time to change into costume - either before or after getting bandaged - is ridiculous.

WTF? Moment #2: While waiting with the others before Northstar arrives, Judd comments to himself that he longs to speak with Heather about his feelings for her despite knowing that she’s already rebuffed him once. WTF? He must have some really strong fantasies or whatever of her to be unable to let her go. He’s way too smart to not take the repeated hints. Plus – he believes his recent failures in battle make him less desirable in her eyes. Recent failures? He saved Heather from possible getting crushed; he absolutely saved Aurora from being crushed; he couldn’t have saved Snowbird, Doug Thompson or their son, and he had no control over his boy when Mesmero hypnotized him during the Sentinel fiasco. He is far too hard on himself, and if she did consider those actions failures then she’s not worth the time. Clearly, Mantlo has little planned for this character.