X-Factor Files: Investigating the Marvel Universe- Alpha Flight and Marvel's Star Trek!

As promised, we are steaming our way through the Hudnall run of Alpha Flight (in more ways than one) and you get a TON of issues covered in this episode!

John is back with Daryl to discuss Quasar's fifth issue, which is an Acts of Vengeance crossover complete with a Stingray appearance!

Episode art by Phillip Sevy

We get a fun little two part story with a Tholian-adjacent species, then time travel and meet Jim Kirk- but not in the way you expect! Join us as we go through four issues of Star Trek: Early Voyages in our penultimate episode covering this series!

Christian Smith joins Daryl to discuss Quasar hanging out with cult leader Aquarian!

Episode art by Phillip Sevy!

We crack into Hudnall's run of Alpha Flight and, well.....tune in for our takes.

The Quasar series really starts grooving with this issue, as we are down with the backstory and can start building out Quasar's world! Daryl is joined by Mr. Scott Free to talk about this himbo.

Episode art by Phillip Sevy

Phillip and Daryl chat about the four Trek series put out by IDW- including the two that have wrapped up by now- as well as the new Starlet Academy show and the upcoming Voyager video game!

John from the Avenging Hour joins us as we get part two of Quasar's origin story- where has he been the last few years?!?! Well, we have some answers for you!

Episode art by Phillip Sevy!

We have reached the end of the Bill Mantlo's run and, along with that, the most unorthodox issue of the entire series!

Are you ready to join the Quest for Quasar? We begin our journey through Mark Gruenwald's solo Quasar series by chatting with Gregory Wright, who was not only one of Mark's assistant editors, but also a personal friend. Jump in for an insightful chat about Mark and why he was drawn to the character of Quasar.

Quasar Art by Phillip Sevy

We kick off this episode with...Klingons...but it goes uphill from there! We end on an issue that may be Phillip's favorite of the series so far.

We have two Mantlo issues and a Hudnall fill-in issue. Let's dive back into Alpha Flight and see what the folks are up to! (Spoiler: Heather makes a rash decision or two.)

We revisit "The Cage" from a different perspective, then journey to a strange planet with very emotional Vulcans for a two-issue arc!

Ever wonder what it's like to be in a group chat with Daryl, D'Manda, and Chad? Well, wonder no longer! We get together to have a chat about Russell Dauterman's GIGANTIC Avengers cover. We break down what we love about it and spoiler: it's Tigra's hair. Well, that and everything else!

We take a journey with the team that goes from outer space all the way back to Canada (presumably). Making pit stops in Liveworld and China, we start building towards the end of Mantlo's run!

Let's go to the Captain Pike era! No, not Strange New Worlds- the Pike era that existed first! We go through the first three issues of Early Voyages and meet an (almost) all new cast of characters along the way. Oh, and Klingons (of course)!

Join us as we talk about...current comics?!?! IDW has put out several new series since August and we want to tell you all about them! We cover the first issues of Strange New Worlds: The Seeds of Salvation, The Lastarship, and Voyager: Homecoming, as well as the first two issues of Red Shirts! Come join us and find a Trek title you might like to pick up!

And no worries, Lower Decks fans- we will have a dedicated episode all about that ongoing title in the coming weeks!

Murder Mommy Heather is in full force as we meet, and come to love, Goblyn! We go from Canada to space in this issue and you are not ready for these shenanigans!

It's the biggest (and only!) crossover event from the Marvel Star Trek line and it is a...crossover that happened! Come hang with us as we chat the good, the bad, and the could have been!

Heather Hudson, our resident Murder Mommy, strikes again! We get a new foe for the team and we are nearing the point where we meet a new member of the team. Before that? The Derangers! #rip

Under the sea...under the sea. Down where it's wetter may not always be better as the Voyager sinks to the bottom of an ocean world! Giving you Titanic vibes It should, because this is 1998 and our culture has literally nothing else going on.

We have two giant sized issues- and one regular- for you in this episode! We bid a bittersweet farewell to THREE original Alpha's, then go down to Antarctica for a Heather Hudson murder spree.

We reach the end of Voyager's ongoing series and pick up where we left off, as the ship and crew fight to escape their entanglement on a huge colony ship. After that, we see Seven of Nine join the cast!

As Northstar koff koffs his was around these issues, we see what goes on when Heather goes home (she, uh, is really into bonfires), when you rely too much on a discredited doctor and his shifty medical advice, and how much physical gratification means to Aurora. We also talk about how much fun The Uncanny Experience was and how much Superman made us want to cry.

We are back in the Delta Quadrant to visit with our favorite late-90s shipbound Trek crew! We get a named supporting character who has a great Trek legacy; he promptly then leaves the ship. And we end on a cliffhanger!

We visit the New Life Clinic on the way to Expo '86 in this episode, and it's not the fun adventure you would think it could be! But at least the team has a good doctor on call(?).

Phillip and Daryl go through the newly-released Tower of Shadows collection, published by Fantagraphics on collaboration with Marvel. We highlight some of our favorite moments from the eight issue collection and try to bring spooky season a little early this year.

We're back and reviewing a three issue arc centered on Captain Janeway doing her best when stranded with some crusty Delta quadrant villains! Join us as we chat about the drama involved. Plus, Tom and Harry are dumb.

We get a fun little adventure in Alpha Flight's first annual- including the return of our queen, Gilded Lily! After that, we see the book start to change under Mantlo's pen with the resuscitation of Beta Flight!

The Voyager crew encounters the Kazon for the first time within the comic! Also: cheesecake.

Ready for the end of the Atlantis arc? Well, before we get to that- we get an eight page story about Puck! Then we move on to Alpha Flight 39-40 and Avengers 272. And spoiler: it ends in a wedding!

We begin our exploration of the Delta Quadrant with Star Trek: Voyager issues 1-3! Journey with us as we dive into some Talaxian-related drama!

We get a brand new villain in the book- Pestilence! And he's gross! These four issues are the first half of a big arc that focuses on Snowbird, Shaman, Talisman, and Marrina (primarily).

We bid farewell to Starfleet Academy with its final three issues and we have some big feelings about it!

The X-Men are here! Well, for a couple pages. But then we get Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike's first appearance! We chat about those Alpha Flight episodes, plus the issue of Marvel Fanfare that focuses on Northstar!

We learn all about T'Priell and the whole Romulan/Vulcan thing. The bad news: she's dead. The good news: she's kind of not!

We are solidly in the Mantlo era as the team gets a new headquarters, an old opponent, and a crumbly ally! Also: body horror!

The cadets are on trial and you'll never guess who their defense lawyer is! Plus, parents day at the academy with some very iffy parents!!!

We say "bye bye" to Byrne and "hello" to the Hulk (and new writer Bill Mantlo!) as we cover Alpha Flight issues 26 through 29 and Incredible Hulk 313! These issues work together as a big arc that clears the path for Mantlo to start innovating in the title. Join us as we end one chapter of Alpha Flight's history and begin another!

Our recruits go to the only planet that carries a Federation death sentence! But first, they deal with a bratty teen and a changeling. How will our cadets fare? Tune in to find out!