THE HISTORY OF THE ORIGINAL CRUSADERS
November, 1982: The Crusaders are formed by Manta-man to defend the west-coast of North America from villains and evil in any shape or size.
February, 1989: The original Crusaders are captured by the villainous CRUSHERS who torture and cripple them. The original Crusaders are eventually rescued by four new super-heroes by the names of Jack Frost, Silver Ghost, Shadow Dragon, and Psi-Crush. The damage had been done however and all the original Crusaders were forced to retire due to their injuries. Their leader, Manta-man, stayed on to recruit a new team to defend the west coast.
March, 1989: The "New" Crusaders are formed. The team is composed of five heroes (4 full-time and 1 reserve member): Jack Frost, Silver Ghost, Shadow Dragon, Psi-Crush, and Transmutator(reserve).
December, 1989: The Crusaders HQ is moved from downtown Richmond, BC to a "bunker" HQ located 500 meters off of White Rock beach, White Rock, BC.
1989-1990: The Crusaders' roster swells as nearly every hero on the west coast strives to join the team. At one point the active membership in the Crusaders was 17: Shadow Dragon, Transmutator, Silver Ghost, Solar man, Commander Astro, Dynamo II, Deadshot, Deathwish, Crossfire, Armoury, Bloodhound, Ultimate Warrior, Override, Iron Guardian, Shrew, Jack Frost, and Grease Lightning.
April, 1991: Manta-man, former Crusader and longtime supporter and benefactor of the new Crusaders is shot and killed by a lone assassin who escapes before he is able to be questioned.
June, 1991: The Crusaders bunker HQ is siezed by the courts as it is discovered that Manta-man owned the building in his secret ID of Carter Manning. The Crusaders are evicted from their HQ as lawyers argue over the will of the late Manta-man.
August, 1991: Lacking in the resources they had become so accustomed to, the Crusaders disband. Many of the heroes leave the Vancouver area to join other teams but a few remain, occasionally teaming up with one another to fight major menaces, but no longer using the name "Crusaders"...
January, 1998: Lawyers from the estate of the late Carter Manning contact the few former Crusaders residing in the lower mainland. Shadow Dragon, Silver Ghost, and Transmutator are given the lease to the "bunker" HQ and told that it now belongs to them.
February, 1998: A membership drive is held by the Crusaders to recruit a "team for the next century". The Crusaders new roster includes 8 full time members, Sand King, Shadow Dragon, Silver Ghost, Transmutator, Synapse, Saphire Mimick, The Spectre, and Doomslayer, and 3 reserve members, Deathwish, Bloodhound, and Armoury.
Late-February, 1998: The new Crusaders first adventure pits them against a multitude of villain including the unstoppable JUGGERNAUT as the Crusaders try to rescue their friend and ally Solar Man. The Crusaders rescue Solar Man (who promptly joins the Crusaders as a reserve member) and successfully defeat his captors. The Crusaders return to their HQ to find that Deathwish was killed while the reserve Crusaders tried to prevent the Hanford nuclear reactor in Washington state from melting down. Bloodhound quits the team traumatized by what occurred in Wahington and Armoury removes himself as an active member but remains on to maintain and improve the HQ.
March, 1998: Transmutator, Silver Ghost, Shadow Dragon, and Sand King are sent e-mails to their home addresses by Gary Cody of Department H and CSIS offerring them membership in a new government sponsored super-team: ALPHA FLIGHT. Around the same time the Crusaders are sent bills from the municipality of White Rock concerning unpaid annual leasing payments. Repairs and maintenance costs for the HQ are also assessed. The bottom line: The crusaders owe and/or need in excess of $600 000 to keep functioning.
April, 1998: The Crusaders investigate a giant crater near Prince George, BC which seems to have been lifted out of the ground with a giant ice-cream scoop. Near the crater the Crusaders encounter Gamma Flight, a training team of potential Alpha Flighters. The encounter goes badly and a fight ensues only to be interrupted by the arrival of the ultra-powerful (and mentally unstable) being known a s OMEGA! Omega recognizes the Crusaders from their first encounter nearly a decade earlier and causes an Omega-Blast (the explosion that caused the first crater) which kills one member of Gamma Flight and leaves everyone else unconscious and near-death. Shadow Dragon awakens and revives the rest of the supers who are present. A distress call is received from Armoury back at the Crusaders HQ: Omega is trying to destroy the bunker! Gamma Flight flees as the Crusaders prepare to confront Omega again. Through careful planning and team effort the Crusaders blindside Omega and render him unconscious but not before he Omega-blasts the Bunker. The bunker is destroyed (although Armoury miraculously survives) and the Crusaders are once again without an HQ. Gary Cody just "happens" to arrive at the ruins of the HQ and once again offers to hire on all the Crusaders as the new ALPHA FLIGHT. Although more than a little suspicious, the Crusaders have few options and accept Cody's offer.
The History of Alpha Flight Begins (Click Here)
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