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Sasquatch died in issue 23.

What is great about the death of Guardian storyline is the slow build up at JB was so good at and the dealing with the aftermath.

The storyline essentially starts in AF 2 and 3, in the back-up origin tale, in interludes in AF 6, 7 and 10 before becoming the main story line in 11 and 12 (with 13 providing a suitable epilogue). How many books now (or even then) rewarded the regular readers with such a beautiful and patient build up whilst cleverly avoiding alienation to those that jumped on at, say, issue 11?

Then when he came back I was very sceptical, but I enjoyed the ride.

Then, when he DID come back, in the exact same manner, I was annoyed and insulted. And I gave up on the comic. 

Since then, Alpha Flight has become 'the team that dies'. They keep coming back, only for that writer to kill them all again. 

Such a sad legacy, such a mis-read of what they were. Such a disappointment.

Side bar - I loved some of Bill Mantlo's comics - Micronauts, ROM were among my favourites, at least initially, but both I feel lost it in their later runs. He did, however, have a tendency to 'acquire' stories from elsewhere and retell those stories with a minimal effort of re-purposing. That was a big failure, and the fact that his return of mac was so close in time to JB's fake out AND it was even in the same title is something I cannot understand why the editor didn't insist that the story was killed.

Incidentally, why does Alan Moore get a pass with Rorschach's origin being lifted lock stock and hack saw from the end of Mad Max? Again, I liked a lot of what he used to write but man does that guy copy. Skizz was ET for instance (I know, I know, 2000 AD had a policy of looking at what was currently successful and re-purposing it, but Skizz was just too on the nose). And then to have the gall to complain that people use his characters (well, characters he created but actually belong to the company he created them for) in other stories, while turning beloved characters in to sex mad children or the main villain of his latest piece. But I digress and make my blood boil.

Where was I? Oh yes, the death of Mac. Expertly handled and shocking in the extreme, because he was going to make it! He was cool, collected and had a plan. And then the door opens and he's distracted. And Heather has to live with seeing her husband blow up.

You're a horrible man Mr Byrne. But I love how you channel those horrible thoughts

I appreciate how you keep characters in the 'silo' that they were conceived in -

All ages remain all ages

New concepts/series, if created more mature, can cover more mature themes in a more mature manner. But don't put those in to a character that was created all ages.

There is talk of making the Black Widow film R rated - such a mistake in my mind and I wonder how many of the pitches start with that starting sentence that was used in so many Wonder Woman pitches that you mention.

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Sorry if I misread this, but it was Fabian Nicieza that brought Mac back.

"...We can do whatever we want to them..."

Seems to be something too many writers these days think about any character. I don't think it's a personal attack, JB... I'm hard pressed to think of a Marvel or DC character, especially in the past decade or so, that hasn't been handled badly. In some cases, VERY badly.

I'd have to agree with Matt, fair game for any character created after 1980.

But I see what you mean, after reading what happened to Nudge, I would probably take it personal too.

JB, what are your thoughts on how Silver Banshee has been handled since your creation?

I will henceforth direct my bill towards the correct culprit.