X-Men#140(1980)

Continued from last issue... Angel flies around Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Having only recently returned to the X-Men, he is still adjusting to the team’s most recent members. He converses briefly with Colossus, as the latter pulls a rotting tree stump out of the ground. Professor X summons Angel and asks him his opinion on the X-Men. Angel does not hide his feelings concerning Wolverine. He thinks that he is a dangerous psychopath with "freaky claws". Professor X reminds Angel that the purpose of the school is to cater to all mutants – no matter how rough they may appear on the outside. In Salem Center, Storm endures an uncomfortable encounter with an amorous pimp before stopping at Stevie Hunter’s dance studio to pick up Kitty Pryde. She is surprised to see how closely Kitty and Stevie have become in so short a time, and shamefully admits to herself that she is growing jealous. Kitty phases into the passenger side of the car, and Storm scolds her for such a showy display of her powers in public. Kitty assures her that she checked to make sure no one was watching before she attempted her stunt. Meanwhile in Northern Canada, the Wendigo charges at Nightcrawler, forcing the X-man to retreat farther into the woods. The surrounding environment is too congested for Nightcrawler to risk blindly teleporting, so he avoids Wendigo's grasp by acrobatically flipping through the trees. The monster manages to latch onto him however and begins squeezing the life from his body. Nightcrawler has no choice but to teleport blind, and he transports himself several yards directly into the air and then teleports again safely to the ground. The Wendigo catches up to him however, and throws him hard against the side of a wood cabin. Inside the cabin, Vindicator, Wolverine, Shaman and Snowbird are discussing their strategy on how to deal with the Wendigo. Wolverine hears the sound of Nightcrawler's body slamming against the side of the building and rushes outside. He finds Nightcrawler's unconscious form, and the Wendigo brandishing a pick-up truck as if it were a baseball bat. Vindicator flies outward from behind Wolverine and begins firing his laser blasts at the Wendigo, but the Wendigo easily bats him away. Wendigo throws the pick-up truck which explodes creating a fire. He then takes off deeper into the woods. Shaman uses powder from his medicine pouch to put out the flames while Snowbird and Wolverine begin chasing the Wendigo. They eventually track the monster back to its lair where he has camper Eileen Parnall and her infant son trapped inside of a cave. He tells Snowbird to regroup with the others while he tackles the creature directly. Like his namesake, Wolverine dives on top of the Wendigo and begins voraciously slashing at him with his claws. The Wendigo has supernatural strength however, and is able to continue fighting despite his injuries. He grabs Wolverine and begins smashing him against the side of a tree. Suddenly Nightcrawler arrives and attacks the monster from behind, distracting it long enough to give Wolverine a chance to catch his breath. Snowbird returns with Vindicator, and realizes that only brute savagery can possibly stop this menace. She transforms into an actual wolverine and launches herself at the monster. She succeeds in bringing the Wendigo down, but the violent passions of her animal form have consumed her and she is now completely feral. Wolverine softly approaches her, and coaxes her down until she is tame enough to revert to her normal humanoid form. Shaman uses his magic to counteract the curse of the Wendigo. He cures the creature's condition, transforming him back into the human, Georges Baptiste. Vindicator is faced with a difficult decision. As a duly licensed agent of the Canadian government, he is forced to place Baptiste under arrest. When Vindicator returns to Parliament, the Prime Minister informs him that the Ministry of Defense no longer maintains the budget to continue funding Department H. He tells him that he will allow him to keep his security status, but as of this moment, Alpha Flight is officially disbanded. Epilogue: In a maximum security prison in Demming, New Mexico, the evil mutant known as the Blob escapes from his prison cell. He refers to a mysterious contact who has invited him to join a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.