Better Than Human: The Northstar Appreciation Thread

[Hekabolos]

Looks like Northstar gets the opening page in Amazing X-Men #10 next week.



Not nearly the first time Northstar's about gotten himself killed trying to save a kid. He really sucks at the whole reluctant hero thing sometimes.

Kyle and Yost are among the better writers when it comes to having a grasp on Jean-Paul's character, and they prove it here in one page. From the fact that he would meet his death attempting to save a child, and be completely disgusted by the manner of his death instead of, y'know, being afraid or sad, to the fact that he only occasionally misses his sister, which is a key detail many get wrong. I feel like many writers want to write the Beaubier twins as though they were the Canadian Maximoffs: a pair of twins who are super close, despite the brother's overprotective and overbearing manner. While some of that is present in the Beaubier's relationship, they and the Maximoff twins are otherwise very different (penchant for super-speed aside).

I know many have their concerns about K&Y, but there are few writers I would rather have handling Jean-Paul*.





*provided he survives being written by them

[Kieran_Frost]

I just love Northstar voice under Kyle&Yost; they have a great grasp of his character. EXCITED!!!

[Anduinel]

Kyle and Yost are among the better writers when it comes to having a grasp on Jean-Paul's character, and they prove it here in one page. From the fact that he would meet his death attempting to save a child, and be completely disgusted by the manner of his death instead of, y'know, being afraid or sad, to the fact that he only occasionally misses his sister, which is a key detail many get wrong. I feel like many writers want to write the Beaubier twins as though they were the Canadian Maximoffs: a pair of twins who are super close, despite the brother's overprotective and overbearing manner. While some of that is present in the Beaubier's relationship, they and the Maximoff twins are otherwise very different (penchant for super-speed aside).

Can't say I really agree on the twins. Jean-Paul has been smotheringly overprotective of Aurora since the first issue of Alpha Flight, and it's a personality trait that was in evidence as recently as the latest AF series. I rather like the idea that getting away from Alpha Flight, finding another person in the world who values him warts and all (lbr, even Aurora doesn't make the grade on that count come days), letting his sister have her own life, and learning how to chill for entire seconds at a time have contributed to his maturing process, but "occasionally" missing her still seems to downplay just how invested Jean-Paul is in his sister's well-being, despite their frequent clashes. But I can handwave the word choice by playing it as distance not exactly being a barrier for two super-speedsters, as in he only misses her occasionally because he can usually see her whenever he wants.

Not sold on Kyle and Yost writing Northstar in this instance, but I did think Yost's take on him in "Hellbound" was good. Would have liked some interaction between JP and Victor, though.

[Hekabolos]

Can't say I really agree on the twins. Jean-Paul has been smotheringly overprotective of Aurora since the first issue of Alpha Flight, and it's a personality trait that was in evidence as recently as the latest AF series. I rather like the idea that getting away from Alpha Flight, finding another person in the world who values him warts and all (lbr, even Aurora doesn't make the grade on that count come days), letting his sister have her own life, and learning how to chill for entire seconds at a time have contributed to his maturing process, but "occasionally" missing her still seems to downplay just how invested Jean-Paul is in his sister's well-being, despite their frequent clashes. But I can handwave the word choice by playing it as distance not exactly being a barrier for two super-speedsters, as in he only misses her occasionally because he can usually see her whenever he wants.

Not sold on Kyle and Yost writing Northstar in this instance, but I did think Yost's take on him in "Hellbound" was good. Would have liked some interaction between JP and Victor, though.

Oh, I agree that Jean-Paul attached to Aurora pretty quickly. My comparison with the Maximoffs (which I probably could have been clearer on) wasn't on his behavior, but on the outcome of it. With the Maximoff twins, Wanda has always been the kind of sister who welcomed her brother's attentions, for varying reasons. I'm sure it started out as a product of the time they were created in but even as she grew into a stronger, more self-sufficient character, Pietro's overbearing nature has never really threatened their relationship, with the possible exception of his reaction to her relationship with the Vision.

The Beaubiers, on the other hand, have never seemed that tight knit. As they shouldn't be, since Wanda and Pietro have been together their whole lives, and were all each other had for a good part of it, while Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie didn't know each other until they were adults. In Marvel time, that's a relatively recent development in their lives (granted I'm not sure how much time is meant to have passed between the formation of Alpha Flight and their introduction in X-Men 12...1? 2?). In contrast to Wanda, Jeanne-Marie is not typically shown as being thrilled by Jean-Paul's interference, a situation which also goes back to the first issues of Alpha Flight. She has always balked at being told what to do by Jean-Paul, although balked is putting it mildly in a lot of instances.

This is the reason I can see Jean-Paul only "occasionally" missing his sister. She's...not the easiest to deal with, despite his desire to deal with her, even before bringing in the difficulty of dealing with her mental instability into it. Both of her personalities can be decidedly unpleasant. After all, Aurora had her genetic makeup tampered with to distance herself from her brother, while Jeanne-Marie has ranged from refusing to admit his homosexuality to openly condemning it.

The moral of the story, I guess, is that while I'm sure Jean-Paul loves his sister plenty (and she him, in her own way), I can see a little Aurora going a long way, leading to his only occasionally missing her.

edited to add: I too wish we could get a Viktor/Jean-Paul reunion. With Jean-Paul's poor track record at helping kids, it would be nice to see him interact with the closest thing he has to a success story.

[NewMutant]

Northstar and Dazzler > Northstar and Aurora

[Hekabolos]

Northstar and Dazzler > Northstar and Aurora

Agreed. I hope they meet up soon, so we can get a shot of Jean-Paul's reaction to Dazzler's new "look".

[ohsnapulon5000]

Agreed. I hope they meet up soon, so we can get a shot of Jean-Paul's reaction to Dazzler's new "look".

She needs someone to tell her she's a stupid bitch the way a gay bestie can.

This is Dazzler. She has just recently been freed from drug induced captivity from Mystique an is about to radically change her appearance and commit herself to a life of vengence with little else focus. This could be avoided if Northstar was around....

[Hekabolos]

She needs someone to tell her she's a stupid bitch the way a gay bestie can.

Everyone needs a gay best friend. Otherwise, how will they know they're acting appropriately?

[Anduinel]

edited to add: I too wish we could get a Viktor/Jean-Paul reunion. With Jean-Paul's poor track record at helping kids, it would be nice to see him interact with the closest thing he has to a success story.

I'd like to see their relationship picked up again too. It's odd to say that Jean-Paul's had a poor track record with helping kids, though, given that what went wrong was always beyond his control: Joanne had an incurable (well, except in Northstar's case apparently) disease, Peter's mutation was killing him, and Victor blamed Northstar for things that happened while he was dead or brainwashed. So it's less that he has a poor track record and more that he always seems to end up doing his best in situations where he literally can't win.

But anyway, looks like someone at Marvel might have heard us:

JAMES TYNION IV (W) • JORGE JIMENEZ (A)
Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
ROCKET RACCOON & GROOT VARIANT BY TBA
• Anole’s deepest fears are unleashed on the streets of New York City!
• Can Nightcrawler and Northstar break through to him before they rip him apart?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

[Rochedalaix]

She needs someone to tell her she's a stupid bitch the way a gay bestie can.

This is Dazzler. She has just recently been freed from drug induced captivity from Mystique an is about to radically change her appearance and commit herself to a life of vengence with little else focus. This could be avoided if Northstar was around....

That scarf is fabulous.

[Hekabolos]

I'd like to see their relationship picked up again too. It's odd to say that Jean-Paul's had a poor track record with helping kids, though, given that what went wrong was always beyond his control: Joanne had an incurable (well, except in Northstar's case apparently) disease, Peter's mutation was killing him, and Victor blamed Northstar for things that happened while he was dead or brainwashed. So it's less that he has a poor track record and more that he always seems to end up doing his best in situations where he literally can't win.

But anyway, looks like someone at Marvel might have heard us:

Yeah, that's what I meant, yet worded poorly. The kids may not have been successes (though Victor's story isn't done), but not due to any lack of trying. I actually think it's an interesting character trait that he tends to tackle the hard cases. I mean, it's easy to point to Storm or Wolverine and praise them for taking Kitty and Jubilee under their wings, but Victor, a gay mutant with a very obvious physical mutation who watched most of his friends die right in front of him is a much harder case than a Kitty or Jubilee. By contrast, when Storm was faced with a difficult young mutant in need of a positive role model, Marrow, she treated her with...let's be kind and just call it impatience. It takes a special person to be willing to work with the more damaged kids.

Anyway, I'm super excited that we're getting a Jean-Paul/Victor story (with a side of Kurt!). Not only for the chance to see the two interact, but when was the last time a writer showed any interest in Victor?

[MrMcMuffin]

Every time I see Victor I hope and pray he gets a new codename, I just can't take him seriously with his. Anyway, excited to see a bigger focus on Jean-Paul! Is the one-shot fill-in thing going to happen every arc now?

[a0040pc]

Issue Information
Title- X-Men (Volume 1) #120
Release Date- April 1979
Writer- Chris Claremont
Artist- John Byrne

Major Notes
First appearance of Alpha Flight. Members include Jean-Paul Beaubier aka Northstar, Michael Twoyoungmen aka Shaman, Anne McKenzie aka Snowbird, Walter Langkowski aka Sasquatch and Jeanne-Marie Beaubier aka Aurora. Wolverine’s true name is revealed.

Brief Summary

Wanted: Wolverine. Dead Or Alive

The X-Men’s battle in Japan is being viewed on a screen in the War Room of the Canadian Ministry of Defence. The screen is being viewed by the Canadian Prime Minister and James MacDonald who now goes by the name of Vindicator. The Prime Minister states that they want Wolverine back after he left the government to join the X-Men. Vindicator assures him that this time they will recapture him but this time he has his team Alpha Flight to assist him. The team consists of Northstar, Shaman, Snowbird, Sasquatch and Aurora.

In Japan the X-Men are boarding a private jet bound for the US. They are saying their goodbyes to Sunfire but Nightcrawler notices that Wolverine is missing. It turns out that Wolverine is saying his goodbyes to Mariko as he gives her a white flower. They say their goodbyes to each other but before he leaves he tells her that his real name is Logan.

Sometime later the X-Men are on the jet and flying through the air. Cyclops and Colleen Wing have spent a bit of time together during the flight but there is a freak storm that seems to be encircling the jet. All attempts to fly around it have failed and even Storm’s abilities do not seem to be able to dampen it. Cyclops realises that this snow storm is unnatural and that someone is trying to capture them.

With no other options the plane is forced to land in Calgary in the midst of the severe snowstorm. The plane is diverted down a runway by the air traffic controller and as it goes down the taxi route the jet is confronted by Vindicator. In the cockpit Wolverine has seen him but Cyclops decides that it is best that they get out of there. The pilots increase the thrust to full throttle but they discover that they are not moving. Nightcrawler looks out of a window and sees a very hairy pair of arms holding onto the wing. With one great feat of strength the jet is thrown backwards into a hangar and seemingly is destroyed on impact.

Vindicator goes to check the jet and scolds his teammate Sasquatch for using too much strength. But as he checks the jet he finds out that it is empty and that the snowstorm is increasing in ferocity. He goes over to his teammate Shaman who is responsible for the snowstorm but he reveals that the increased ferocity is not his doing but the actions of one of the X-Men.

The X-Men were able to get out of the jet and Storm is giving them cover so that they can’t be seen. They make their way into the airport and Wolverine begins to explain how he had originally been with the Canadian Government. He had been in operations while Vindicator had been gathering Alpha Flight. The team is made up mainly of mutants but he isn’t sure who they are and exactly how many there are. For this reason Cyclops decides to split the team up to keep Alpha Flight off-balanced and that they will meet up by a large tower that they have seen.

Nightcrawler goes his own way and teleports to a back alley. Here he thinks he can be move without being seen but when he goes to walk through the alley he is suddenly blinded by a bright light. With Nightcrawler dazed he is struck down by the fist of Northstar. He is there with his sister Aurora and they know that they have taken down one X-Man and that there are five more to go.

A short time later by the tower Cyclops and Colossus are there along with Misty Knight and the two pilots who were also on the jet. They are worried why the others haven’t arrived but they think that their teammates are on their way.
Banshee and Storm at a mall buying some new clothes. Due to Storm’s height and hair colour she stands out in the crowd and they hope that a change of clothing will help her fit into the crowd more. Colleen Wing is with them and they think Storm looks beautiful in her new clothing. But Storm is not fond of them and feels smothered in them.

Outside Vindicator is flying through the air. The scanning systems have been recalibrated and now he knows exactly where the X-Men are. He flies into the mall scaring many shoppers and confronts Banshee. He recognises Vindicator from their battle months earlier and he tries to unleash a sonic scream. But when he tries his feels crippling pain and keels over. Vindicator is concerned about Banshee but before he can get help he is attacked by Storm who unleashes a hurricane force wind at him which blows him clear out of the mall. The store itself is damaged but rather than going after Vindicator Storm and Banshee decide to go and warn Cyclops. But as Vindicator flies away he is not happy that he put people in danger and that he didn’t want to lead Alpha Flight. It was supposed to be Wolverine.

At the tower Cyclops sees the energy trail left by Vindicator and realises that he has just confronted Storm since they could hear the battle. He admits that he has underestimated Alpha Flight and it seems that they have their own Cerebro like scanner that will be able to locate them.

In the slum streets Wolverine is walking through and he is familiar with the area. His mind is on Mariko but then he is attacked suddenly by Sasquatch. With the element of surprise Sasquatch is able to knock Wolverine out and carry him away.

A short time later the rest of the team have met up but Wolverine and Nightcrawler are still missing. Cyclops realises that they can’t escape until they’ve defeated Alpha Flight and rescued their teammates. He is even willing to kill Alpha Flight if need be.

My Thoughts

Once again another great story thanks to the team of Claremont and Byrne. The writing and the art flowed very well and made the issue a very enjoyable read. With each issue that I read I am loving the partnership between Claremont and Byrne but alas it will not last forever.

The issue introduces the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight. For those who don’t know them they are a superhero team who work have heavy connections to the Canadian government. They are mainly made up of mutants but there are still some super-powered humans who also call themselves members. Including two of the most recognisable members, the husband and wife duo of James MacDonald and Heather Hudson. The latter was actually mentioned during the episode.

Probably the most well known member of the team at this point in time is future X-Man Northstar. But it is not just the fact that he will join the X-Men that has put him on the map but the fact that he is one of the first openly homosexual comic book characters in the industry. This has been one of the leading factors of his character and why he is popular with fans. In fact recently his marriage to his lover was the first homosexual wedding in comics ever. He is still a great character with the ability to fly and move at speeds that could rival that of Quicksilver.

Another popular member that was introduced is Sasquatch. He is a little like the Incredible Hulk of Alpha Flight, in fact he has gone toe to toe with the Emerald Giant on a few occasions and although Sasquatch is incredibly strong he is not as strong as the Hulk. I think he is one of the few members of the team to stay with the team throughout its different carnations and feels like one of the principle members of the team. He can transform from a normal human into a close to fifteen foot hairy Bigfoot like creature. I wanna just go up to him and say ‘Who’s a good boy?’ but then he would probably smack me.

The issue itself was great in showing that despite the X-Men being powerful in the right circumstances they can be vulnerable. Hell two of the most popular members of the team were taken down thanks to the element of surprise and it just shows that they are not invincible.

Despite starting out to look like villains we see in the issue that Alpha Flight aren’t actually villains but heroes in their own right. It’s just that they believe that Wolverine should be back with them and are more than willing to go along with the Canadian Government. Their own series that was released a few years after this issue lasted for 130 issues over a ten year period so that definitely shows popularity, although the various Alpha Flight series after that have not been too big of a success.

There were a few other popular characters who didn’t appear on the team in this issue but they will pop up over time. One member that we didn’t see in the field at all was Snowbird, we see her as her normal self but we don’t see her in costume or use her powers at all (Which is to transform into any animal native to Canada). We still have other members like Talisman and Puck to come.

Also in this issue we find out that Wolverine's name is Logan. It has been five years since his first appearance and we finally learn his name. Although technically it is not his real name (That won't be revealed in 22 years from this issue) but at least we can give him a name rather than just Wolverine.

I’m going to give this issue a 9 out of 10. There was drama and action in this issue and shows us that the X-Men might have indeed met their match.

Next Issue
X-Men (Volume 1) #121

[Anduinel]

James Tynion IV answered some questions about the upcoming AXM #13 on his Tumblr:



And perhaps the story isn't a horror offering after all?

Honestly, it is more of a sweet, fun kind of issue. It ends with hand-holding. Because I am a SAPPY dude.

[Anduinel]

New preview art and an interview with James Tynion IV up at Newsarama.



After dealing with Jeanne-Marie’s particular brand of judgemental Catholicism for years, I don’t know that I agree with the idea that Northstar would be threatened by Kurt’s much more relaxed views, but we’ll see how that plays out on the page.

The bit about Northstar’s boundaries and reluctant heroism making him relatable is absolutely one of the things that drew me to the character from very early on, though. There are characters like pre-nu52 Superman whom I can admire while never really feeling a personal connection because a character who’s always non-stop striving for the good and selfless option is, well, a bit alien to my sensibilities. The one who’s more than willing to throw a pushy, life-disrupting offer to join a superhero team back in the recruiter’s face, and does the right thing despite the fact that he’d rather be just about anywhere but hanging out with the spandex crew pings as a bit more human, while, in some ways being as admirable because selflessness doesn’t come easily to him.

On the more shallow end of things: this looks like it's going to be a really pretty book. Can we keep these guys?