Puck Part 60: Alpha Flight #89 (October, 1990)

All Right! Puck is BACK baby!

I have this issue.

Through a combination of Aurora’s ability to put Judd in a relaxed state and Shaman’s and Talisman’s spell castings, it is learned that Judd was part of an experiment conducted by old foe Master of the World, who has connections at Ottawa General Hospital. He had his people inject Judd with a genetic compound of the Master’s creation that was derived from Scramble’s bio-restructuring enzymes, and a blood sample taken from Judd’s first stay at that hospital back in Alpha Flight #5. The goal being to eventually develop a mate for Marrina’s brood and create an ultimate warrior.

However, the blood sample Master used was when Judd was a dwarf, and the Master’s compound was manipulating Judd’s body while converting it back to his dwarf form at the same time.

Walter, using his biochemist knowledge, learns that Scramble’s original matrix is still in Judd’s system and could be reprogrammed into converting his body back to normal…making Judd a dwarf again, based on the blood sample the Master used.

Judd is given the choice whether or not to proceed, knowing that there’s no guarantee that it would work, or that he’d survive the strain. Judd tells them to do it.

Walter, Jean-Marie, Michael and Elizabeth work together and they succeed in curing Judd - a dwarf once more - just as Master returns with his Remnant Men, who attack.

Notes of Interest:

1) The hospital Judd stayed at in Alpha Flight #5 was never named, so it could be the same hospital…

2) When Judd returned to Earth-616, his body began rejecting the magical healings from that place. He was dying. In that sense, the Master’s compound saved Judd’s life.

WTF? Moment: Judd doesn’t look very relaxed when Aurora uses her powers on him. In fact, it looks downright painful. I guess the look may be from the pain of having the Master’s compound in his system, but she says that he’s in a relaxed state at that moment, and I beg to differ.