SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Marvel's "Captain Marvel" #1, on sale now.
Marvel Comics launched a new "Captain Marvel" series this week, and while it's the latest solo series starring Carol Danvers, it also functions as something of a team book. As previously revealed, the book -- by co-writers and "Marvel's Agent Carter" showrunners Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas and artist Kris Anka -- features Captain Marvel as the commander of a new incarnation of Alpha Flight -- formerly Canada's national super-team, working under the auspices of Department H. The new Alpha Flight is "Earth's first line of defense" against cosmic threats -- but some familiar faces are in tow.
Classic Alpha Flight members Puck, Aurora and Sasquatch are all part of the new version of the team, and play a prominent part in issue #1. Though it's not yet established how Alpha Flight rose to this prominent position -- all current Marvel Universe titles took an eight month leap forward in time following the conclusion of "Secret Wars" -- there's clearly still a link between what the group was and what it is now. Additionally, Abigail Brand -- created by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday in 2004 during their "Astonishing X-Men" run -- is a major player with Alpha Flight, as the group's Lt. Commander. Wendy Kawasaki, a supporting character introduced during Kelly Sue DeConnick and Filipe Andrade's "Captain Marvel" run, serves as the group's Science Officer.
Created by John Byrne, Alpha Flight first appeared in 1979's "X-Men" #120, before headlining a series for 130 issues from 1983 to 1994. Several revivals have followed, though none have approached the longevity of the original.
This new "Captain Marvel" series comes at an auspicious time for the character of Carol Danvers, who was recently announced as one of the main characters of upcoming event series "Civil War II" -- heading up her own team of heroes against one led by Iron Man, as a philosophical divide (similar to the one between Iron Man and Captain America in the original "Civil War") will pit the two sides against each other. A Marvel Studios "Captain Marvel" movie is scheduled for release on March 8, 2019.
"Captain Marvel" #1 is on sale now.