This month's issue of Wolverine vol.3 #28 with JP brings up a HUGE problem I've had with Alpha Flight chronology since 1987:

When was the team formed - before or after the events of UXM#109? This is a big question because if AF was formed after UXM#109 it means that Wolverine was never a member.

There are now SIX key books involved in this chronology problem:

BOOK 1 - BEFORE - In the flashback portion of AF#17 that depicts the events leading up to the events of UXM#109, we learn that Alpha Flight existed BEFORE UXM#109. Mac says to Heather, "The rest of Alpha Flight will be more than ready before I go into any real action." That flashback is immediately prior to the events of UXM#109, which is then partially reprinted in that issue.

BOOK 2 - AFTER - A contradiction to this is what Gary Cody says in AF#52, "Turning his cybersuit into a battle-suit, he tried to get Wolverine back as Weapon Alpha.* Recognizing the folly of that, he began seeking new recruits-- --and soon, as Vindicator, he'd gathered to him the five core members of the original Alpha Flight!" The * is a note referring to UXM#109. And of course, JP is one of the five shown.

BOOK 3 - BEFORE - In Classic X-Men #16 which also reprints the events of UXM#109 with some additional material: we see Mac thinking, "That's why I wanted you [meaning Logan -rplass] as leader of Alpha Flight, old friend--" This takes place before Mac leaves for his trip to the States, which implies very strongly that Alpha Flight existed BEFORE the events of UXM#109. This desire for Logan to be the leader of Alpha Flight is consistent with what Mac said in AF#17, by the way.

BOOK 4 - AFTER - this is the most troubling book. Alpha Flight (Sasquatch, Northstar, Aurora, Snowbird, Shaman) appear as a training team in the flashback portion of AF#92. General Clarke fires Major Chasen on p23. It was Major Chasen's tie that Logan sliced when he quit, as depicted in Giant-Sized X-Men #1. Therefore, Wolverine must have quit before the events of the flashback portion of AF #92, which hints that the team was formed after he quit - but it's not clear. This supports AF#52 but does not definitely mean that the team was formed after UXM#109, since at least some time passed between Logan quitting and UXM#109. How much time is unknown, but it was at least as long as the period of time that passed between Giant Sized X-Men #1 which continues in UXM's #94-108. AF#17 makes it seem like about 1 day or less, but it's not exactly clear. It is possible that the flashback portion of AF#92 is sandwiched between the tie slicing and UXM#109, but it only really tells us that Logan was not around during that time.

I put this into the AFTER column because Major Chasen refers to Mac as "Vindicator," a name he took on after UXM#109. Mac must have already completed the events of UXM#109 by the time Chasen got fired. We are seeing raw recruits of the team, still wearing their training uniforms and Mac has already gotten back from the US. It strongly hints that the team was formed later rather than earlier.

In that same issue, Wolverine is not shown, presumably because he had already quit. Also, we learn that the team had taken on the name of "Alpha Flight" some time before the events depicted in the flashback portion of AF#92, as General Clarke indicates when he fires Major Chasen on p23. We don't know exactly when the team name was assigned.

This book actually causes a small loop of contradiction within itself because by a bizarre coincidence, it contradicts AF#17 with tie-slicing evidence, but AF#17 also happens to depict events in Major Chasen's office immediately after Chasen's tie gets sliced in Giant Sized X-Men #1.

BOOK 5 - BEFORE - In issue #28 of Wolverine vol. 3, Logan irks JP with this line, "You were always b-list at best, Jean-Paul. Even when we were back in Alpha Flight." So Alpha Flight must have been formed before UXM#109 and Logan must have been in it with Northstar.

BOOK 6 - AFTER The text portion of the Alpha Flight entry in the OHOTMU: TEAMS 2005 says, "Inspired by the Fantastic Four, James Hudson sought to create a Canadian superteam. He began to train metahumans for future combat situations, and assumed leadership of the team after Wolverine, who was the intended leader, defected."

This suggests that there was a team being formed before the defection and events of UXM#109, but it could be referring to the "First Flight" team shown in the Alpha Flight Special. I say this because in the flashback portion of AF#17, Mac says, "We've been putting together our little band of heroes more out of national pride than for any practical reason." National pride? That contradicts the notion that the purpose of the team was for combat situations. He later refers to his little band of heroes as Alpha Flight. The team that was being trained in the Alpha Flight Special was being trained for combat, so I'm thinking that the writers of the OHOTMU:T2K5 entry must have been referring to the metahumans as the "First Flight" team, of which Northstar was not a member. This supports the notion that Wolverine and Northstar were never in Alpha Flight at the same time.

Then, later in the entry, Wolverine is not listed as a former member of Alpha Flight.

By the way, The Alpha Flight Special with "First Flight" suggests that there was a team being formed before UXM#109, but does not show Aurora nor Northstar nor doesn't name the team as Alpha Flight, so it's not helpful.

Aurora Origin: The backstory of AF#9 implies that Logan is the one who introduces her to Dept. H. He says that his friend Jimmy Hudson would be interested in meeting her. Well, that must have occurred before UXM#109 because Logan wouldn't be calling Mac his "friend" between UXM#109 and UXM#139. But Aurora may have just taken a card, and called up Department H months or years later... it isn't shown so it's not helpful. We do know for sure that Aurora was recruited by Mac before Northstar, as revealed in AF#10.

Northstar Origin: Logan wasn't shown in AF#10 so it's not helpful. We don't know if the backstory of AF#10 occurred before or after UXM#109.
Well, now BEFORE has 3 books and AFTER has 3. After 18 years I am still not sure. So which is it?

Love,
rplass