8. The apparent return of Guardian is especially cruel to Heather

8. The apparent return of Guardian is especially cruel to Heather Mac seems to return in #25, complete with an explanation of how he survived and why his body is now partly mechanical. For Heather, the possibility arrives after trying to build a life without him. The explanation is a deception. In #26, the figure under the Guardian mask is revealed as Delphine Courtney, the robot involved in the original attack on the Hudsons. That makes the impersonation more than a trick to get past the team's defenses. Delphine uses the exact loss that Heather has been struggling to survive. The familiar face and costume become weapons against her. Omega Flight's attack at West Edmonton Mall follows the same pattern of exploiting existing connections. These opponents know who the Alphans are, and Delphine can move among them in the shape of someone they desperately want to trust. For Heather's first stretch as leader, this is an especially bitter test. She has begun accepting that Alpha Flight can continue without Mac, only to have the possibility of his return offered and then deliberately torn away. The Guardian in these issues should be identified as the impersonation it is. Later explanations of Mac's history belong outside this chapter. https://t.co/xW9nmOnh7Y https://t.co/dtRZnTFUTs