"Narya-you're awake!" exclaimed Guardian, as he entered the infirmary, only to see Snowbird resting on her hospital bed very comfortably. For the past few months, since he, Wolverine, and the rest of Alpha Flight rescued her from the AIM factory elsewhere,* she had been reduced to a coma-like state.

(* As seen in Marvel's Wolverine #143 -- Russ)

Elizabeth Twoyoungmen, in her guise and utilizing her mystical powers as Talisman, sent a summons to the rest of the remaining Alpha Flight to see Narya's returning from the dead and to welcome her back to the fold. Like Talisman, the rest of the Flight were genuinely surprised and relieved to see her among the living again.

Talisman, now in her superheroine costume, walked over to Snowbird to see if she were indeed all right.

"How are you feeling?" Talisman asked of her teammate.

Snowbird groaned, touching her head, as Talisman suspected that a long overdue headache was passing through her form. "Blessed Nelvanna! I am fine and well, under the circumstances. Talisman, you seem to be the same. A lot has changed since my last appearance within the Flight. It seemed that James has returned from the dead again and I am sad to see the passing of Roger Bochs. This looks like a truer Alpha Flight then the one I remember since my absence. James, please tell me what has happened since my death and subsequent return from the dead!"

Guardian grinned at her question. "Well, Narya--Snowbird, it seems that a lot has happened since your absence. Mainly, the Hydra splinter group, Advanced Idea Mechanics, dug up your grave and resurrected you by way of cell regeneration. They were conducting some sort of experiment on you. But beside that, we are working to put an end to AIM, once and for all. Right now, we are glad to have you with the team again and I am glad to present you with this--"

Then, the team handed to Snowbird her Alpha Flight costume, the very familiar white and blue attire with the headdress. Her face was positively aglow.

"Oh, James, you know how to bring a smile to this demi-goddess' face. Thank you."

The rest of Alpha Flight departed the room as she in private donned her costume and was soon reunited with the team.

Slow to arrive, Mr. Gentry, the Director of Department H, entered the infirmary to see a very clothed Snowbird. "So, you finally woke up. How convenient. Now, you can tell us what AIM was doing with you."

"Hey, watch it," Langkowski intervened. "She was in a coma. Give her a chance to get her bearings."

"Ma Waltair is right. You should know when to mind your manners, Monsieur Gentry."

"Back off, eh?"

"It is our business to know the whereabouts and goings-on of AIM," Gentry said, interrupting the conversation of Alphans. "AIM is our business now, not just the American super groups. I think that she knows a little more than we do on this whole AIM affair. So, Snowbird, what do you know about those beekeepers?"

Snowbird frowned. "Well, Mr. Gentry is it, you have to understand that I was in suspended animation and in a coma, while MODOK and his team of agents were performing their little experiments on me. But I was able to hear some of their plans while they were talking among themselves."

"And that is?"

"That, simply, they were mass-producing my children. They must have made test-tube babies. That is all I know."

"Good God. Lord have mercy on us all."

Then, an alarm sounded and Vindicator checked the perimeter cameras. "Oh my Lord, that's Pestilence! Somehow he must have escaped from Shaman's pouch. We're in deep trouble now."

"I've never faced him before," Guardian said, "What are we up against?"

"I don't have time for this. Just be prepared for the fight of your life, Mac. He's simply the most powerful mystical threat that we've encountered minus the Sorcerer."

"I'll assemble the team. Alpha Attack!"

Meanwhile, an Omnijet landed within a field outside of the Alpha Complex and out exited Kamikaze, Diamond Lil, and Shaman, minus his pouch. Shaman felt that he was partly responsible for the awakening of Pestilence. He should have been able to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the one called Brainwave. He didn't know who or what this mutant telepath was but he should have never let him get that close to his pouch. He sighed. Next time he would have to be more careful. If there was a next time to fight back against his enemies, this was it.

Now, Alpha Flight was down one Alphan. Without his pouch, he was a normal human being, powerless against any super-powered or mystical foe. Now, he was just Michael Twoyoungmen, MD. He hated to do this but he would have to let Diamond Lil or any of the other Alphans retrieve his pouch for him. Another sign of weakness on his part.

Diamond Lil placed a hand on Shaman's shoulder. "Don't fret, Michael. We'll get your pouch back."

"That's the least of my worries. Look. Pestilence has already arrived to attack Alpha Flight. With the powers of my pouch and Spirit Staff at his disposal, he could be all-powerful."

"Oh no."

Entering through a hole in the wall that Shaman surmised Pestilence made with his new powers, the three Alphans see a pitched battle taking place between one lone mystical being and the rest of the team. Shaman shuddered at the outcome, knowing full well that Alpha could hardly survive this confrontation.

"Stay back, Michael, Kamikaze and I will deal with this guy. If Llan the Sorcerer was nothing to sneeze at, then the whole team could take this loser!"

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Kamikaze said, as the two Alphans launched into battle.

Pestilence was within a circle in the center of the vast room with all members of the Alpha Flight team surrounding him and attacking him all at once. "So, Dr. Twoyoungmen, you have decided to join the fray."

"I wish you would stop having these delusions of being reunited with your supposed mother, Snowbird. She has no wish to be reunited with you. All I want is to stop these senseless fights and regain my pouch and Spirit Staff."

"Oh, you mean this?" Pestilence reached into the pouch, took out the aforementioned Spirit Staff, thrust it on the metal flooring, and around Shaman's feet grew large weeds and vines to entrap him. He was powerless to do anything about it.

While Pestilence was preoccupied with disarming Shaman, Diamond Lil vaulted in the air, clenching her fists to knock him out. But with the speed of a cheetah, Pestilence turned around, grabbed Lil by a tuft of her super hero costume, and threw her against the opposite wall.

"Foolish, little girl. You, Lillian Crawley, should join my side of proclaiming death as the ultimate arbiter! But you stay with your foolishness and join the side of good. You are said to be invulnerable to harm but I wonder if that holds the same for the power of death, decay, destruction, and Pestilence."

"You came looking for your 'mother', well, here I am, son!" Snowbird shouted as she transformed into Sasquatch's bestial form. She approached Pestilence, ready to slash him with her claws.

"Oh, mother, are we playing a game now?" Pestilence asked, as he evaded her attacks. He knew that one slash of her claws could destroy him. He could plunge into true death, not just the limbo between life and death.

"You know what they say," Langkowski said, as he ran toward Snowbird, "two Sasquatches are better than one." Instantly, Walter Langkowski concentrated slightly and then, orange fur overwhelmed him and where once there was one Sasquatch, now there were two, as he promised.

The Sasquatches attacked Pestilence from two sides slashing and clawing, ripping his leather-clad clothes apart until his uniform was almost in tatters.

"I also have Shaman's and Brainwave's powers, as well." Pestilence used his telepathic prowess as Brainwave to cause psychic anguish and shock to the orange Sasquatch to force him back into Walter Langkowksi. He slipped into unconsciousness.

Aurora raced over to her lover's side. "What have you done to my Waltair?"

"Don't cross me, Aurora, or you'll get maggots like the last time!"* Pestilence screamed this threat. This time, however, he merely ignored Aurora, as his attention was directed at the Snowbird-Sasquatch.

(* Referring to their battle in Marvel's Alpha Flight #38 -- Russ)

Northstar flew over to where Aurora was kneeling, as she stroked Walter's cheek. "Is Langkowski unharmed?"

"Get off it, Jean-Paul. You don't care about Waltair. At least, not like I do. Just help me bring him to a safe place."

Northstar's eyes went wide open. "Sapristi! Sister, you still seem to astound me. Though I wish you would find a better man for yourself than Langkowksi, I care if a teammate is injured or not. Why do you fawn over him like you do? There are plenty of men out there that you could find and marry. But I guess that is your decision to make. Don't think that I won't do everything in my power to stop you--and him."

"Jean-Paul, you're insufferable!"

"Now, let's get him out of here."

"My thoughts exactly."

Before Pestilence could renew his attack on Walter, Northstar carried Langkowski to a safe place. In seconds, he returned to his sister's side.

"Cover your eyes, Alpha Flight!" Aurora said, as she and Northstar joined hands and a brilliant light engulfed the room. Every member of the team shielded their eyes so they wouldn't be blinded by the light bombardment. But upon hearing the warning, Pestilence shielded his eyes also, so he wasn't blinded, as well.

"Hahahaha!! You cannot defeat me, Aurora, Northstar! Your cheap parlor tricks mean nothing to me because I am immune to them, as being a force for death!" Pestilence struck a beam of psychic energy at the Beaubier twins, halting them in their tracks, as they plummeted to the floor below.

"And now, you, dear mother." Out of Pestilence's mind lanced another psychic barrage, like the one he used on Langkowski, and the white Sasquatch reverted to her demi-goddess form. "And you, Talisman! Your power only works on spirits, not telepaths."

Kamikaze disappeared from sight only to reappear right in back of Pestilence, giving him a well-deserved chokehold. Then, Diamond Lil started to punch him this way and that until finally, he dropped Shaman's pouch to the ground.

"Michael, heads up!" Lil shouted as she tossed the pouch in the air and Shaman caught it.

With his superhuman strength at his command, Pestilence threw the two heroes off his back to give himself some breathing room.

Pestilence approached Talisman, lancing a third psychic barrage at her. "You are a very beautiful, young woman, Elizabeth Twoyoungmen, and it will be a true pleasure for you to fight with me by my side."

Then, Talisman collapsed and screamed in mental anguish.

"Elizabeth?! Are you okay?" Shaman asked, after Vindicator fired geo-thermal blasts to free him of the weeds and vines that entrapped him. She and the rest of the team were busy fighting the different threats that Pestilence hurled against them.

"Oh, yes, dear father. I am more than fine. I am powerful. I am the Talisman, the binder of spirits!"

"What have you done to her?" Shaman asked of Pestilence.

"Why, simply," the villain answered, "turned her to a force for evil and death!"

Talisman smiled. "And all I want is your complete and utter destruction."