Sasquatch

Name: Sasquatch (former aliases are Box III, Wanda Langowski)
Real Name: Walter Langkowski
Place of Origin: Canada
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #120
Powers: The mystic ability to transform into a large, super-strong, orange-furred, beast. He also possesses a large resistance to injury in this form as well as an immunity to radiation and high degrees of cold (is that an oxymoron? I didn't think so).
Background: Once a pro football player on the NFL, Walter Langkowski decided to become involved in Department H, a top secret branch of the Department of National Defense in Canada, as a scientist mostly studying gamma radiation, the same force that changed Bruce Banner into the monstrous Hulk. Banner actually had something to do with this career choice. He and Walter were friends in Graduate School and knowing what happened to Bruce interested him. He began experimenting with all sorts of radiation and things until it finally worked. Or so he thought. In actuality, the hulking (no pun intended) orange-furred version of Langkowski was the cause of creating enough energy to break through a barrier to another realm, the realm of the Great Beasts, and that second he connected with it he became combined with another creature by the name of Tanaraq.

After a while, the beast regained control and had to be killed by Snowbird, an enemy of the creature. Consequently, this also killed Langkowski. But Walter's soul could still be brought back, as it was trapped in the Beast realm. Alpha Flight, the Canadian superhero team created by Department H, did just that. Although the soul was rescued, Walter still had no physical body so he went searching for a suitable one. He first came across the Hulk accidently, but left, not wanting to cause any damage with an old friend. Then he possessed the mindless body of Smart Alec. He then searched for a way out, and when he did get out, he arrived just in time reanimate Box, a teammate of his, and to battle the villain Pestilence. After that battle, he possessed Snowbird's Sasquatch form, as she possessed a background linked to the realm of the Great Beasts. However, when Walter changed to a human form like he usually did in Sasquatch form, he found that he was a (get this) woman. Ohhh, man. What I'd give to be...Nevermind. You read nothing.

Anyhoo, "Wanda," the name he took up as a sign of good spirit reflecting his new, uh, position in life, was later changed back to his previous Sasquatch form completely by Snowbird, who returned from the realm of Eskimo gods (?). This act followed a manipulation by the Dreamqueen took advantage of Walter's not-so-cheery feelings about being a woman and used this against him in order to acquire the Talisman, a very powerful mystic tool.

After all tha jazz, Walter has been a strong force on Alpha Flight without so many complications. Recently, he was confronted by Banshee, who was asking for Walter's help in finding his lost team of young mutants (actually, White Queen manipulated Sean's mind into jumping out of the airplane in order to safely take the kids to a hideaway down in Canada, all subconsciously done to assure for their safety from Onslaught. See the review of Generation X #19 for more info on this). Sasquatch is also part of the new roster of Alpha Flight, but with some interesting changes. Apparently, Walter doesn't have the ability to speak at present (just grunts and things), has acquired a pair of huge fangs, and is very prone to rages, which will be controlled by Murmur, a new member of Alpha Flight who possesses the ability of super-strong suggestion activated via touch. Woowee! It's gonna be a fun book.