Gamma Flight is the name of two fictional
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
teams of superheroes appearing in
American comic books published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
.
Publication history
The first version of Gamma Flight debuted in ''Alpha Flight'' #1 and was created by
John Byrne.
Fictional team biography
Flight tier level
Gamma Flight first appeared in ''
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional team of Canadian superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #120 (April 1979), and were created to serve as part of the X-Men member W ...
'' #1 (August 1983).
The original Gamma Flight served as the first tier in the three-tier process of becoming a member of Alpha Flight as instituted by
Department H
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
. Gamma Flight was mostly raw recruits. After a training period, theoretically they would be upgraded to
Beta Flight
Beta Flight is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Along with Gamma Flight, Beta Flight is one of the "minor leagues" of the Canadian team Alpha Flight. Originally, Beta Flight was the interm ...
and eventually to Alpha Flight, the premiere official superhero team of Canada. The members were
Diamond Lil
Diamond Tooth Lil was an American cultural figure popular in the early 20th century as an icon of wealth and libertine burlesque. Several individuals called themselves "Diamond Lil" or "Diamond Tooth", creating an amalgamated legacy clouded b ...
,
Smart Alec,
Wild Child, and
Madison Jeffries
Madison Jeffries is a fictional mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as having the ability to reshape plastic, metal, and glass to any shape desired. He also has the technopath ...
.
Many former Gamma Flight members were convinced by
Jerry Jaxon
Jerome "Jerry" Jaxon is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Jerome Jaxon first appeared in '' Alpha Flight'' #2-3 (September–October 1983), and was created by John Byrne.
The ...
and Delphine Courtney to join
Omega Flight in his bid to destroy James Hudson.
Canadian government sanctioned team
The Canadian government founded a new sanctioned superhero team after the disappearance of Alpha Flight. This Gamma Flight included
Nemesis,
Wildchild,
Silver
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...
,
Auric and
Witchfire. With Alpha Flight implicated in various misdeeds that occurred, Gamma Flight had orders to bring them to the authorities. This team was later disbanded in a merger with Department H and Alpha Flight with some members leaving.
Support operation
In a revived Department H, Gamma Flight refers to support operations.
Alpha Flight Space Program version
After
Hulk escaped from
General Reginald Fortean's custody, a depowered
Walter Langkowski formed a new version of Gamma Flight to go after Hulk by starting with
Puck as its first member.
Walter and Gamma Flight arrived at the area where the gamma bomb first turned Bruce Banner into Hulk. As Hulk fought Gamma Flight,
Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #114, cover dated March 1965, created by writer Stan Lee and writer/artist Ja ...
absorbed the leftover gamma radiation that enabled the One-Below-All to plunge New Mexico into its Below-Place. After Hulk defeated the One-Below-All, Walter and Gamma Flight were returned to Earth where
Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #114, cover dated March 1965, created by writer Stan Lee and writer/artist Ja ...
joined the group.
With
Titania as its latest member, Walter and Gamma Flight ran into
Doc Samson
Doc Samson (Leonard Skivorski Jr.) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Universe, known as a supporting character in ...
who reveals to them Hulk's plans to wipe out the human civilization.
Arriving in
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
, Walter and Gamma Flight found the Subject B husk that the U.S. Hulk Operations placed Rick Jones' body in. They take it to the Alpha Flight Low-Orbit Space Station for study. Wearing the
Hulkbuster-
Redeemer armor, General Fortean raided the Alpha Flight Low-Orbit Space Station to reclaim the Subject B husk. While taking out the Gamma Flight members, Fortean also shoots Walter to make him pay for the deaths his Sasquatch form caused before making off with the Subject B husk. Gamma Flight teleported themselves to the U.S. Hulk Operation's base at Gloom Lake in
Area 51
Area 51 is the common name of a highly classified United States Air Force (USAF) facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range. A remote detachment administered by Edwards Air Force Base, the facility is officially called Homey Airport ...
to attack it. While the U.S. Hulk Operations anticipated their arrival, Doc Samson was shocked when General Fortean had merged with the Subject B husk. The confrontation was interrupted when Hulk,
Rick Jones,
Betty Ross/The Harpy, and Jackie McGee raided the base.
[''The Immortal Hulk'' #22. Marvel Comics.]
References
External links
Gamma Flightat Marvel.com
Gamma Flightat Marvel Wiki
Gamma Flight (Alpha Flight Space Program version)at Marvel Wiki
Gamma Flightat Comic Vine
*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110723012927/http://alphaflight.net/alphanex/index.php?title=Gamma_Flight_I AlphaFlight.Net Alphanex Entry on Gamma Flight IAlphaFlight.Net Alphanex Entry on Gamma Flight II
{{Flight Program
Alpha Flight
X-Men supporting characters