Alpha One is the main antagonist of the 2009 comic book series The Mighty.
Biography[]
Introduction[]
Alpha One is a superhero working with the Section Omega, an American police force exclusively dedicated for him and financed by him personally. He was found in a river after an atomic test which happened in 1952. A hydrogen bomb gave him his superpowers. He is first seen stopping a runaway train, preventing it from derailing and saving the lives of the passengers.
Later, Alpha One is called by Lieutenant Gabriel Cole because he found Captain Michael Shaw, his superior and Alpha One’s partner, seriously wounded. Alpha One appears but isn’t able to save the captain, who succumbs to his wounds.
After stopping a petty thief from robbing passengers on a cruise picking up and bringing him to the police, Alpha One meets with Cole, who was promoted Captain. It appears that Alpha One rescued the young Cole when he was just a child from a car accident, which killed his parents. After congratulating him for his achievements, Alpha One reveals to Cole that he knows who killed Shaw and proposes a ride to Cole to their lair to make them pay. Alpha One flies and takes Cole with him, making him know he wants to stay back, observe him, and protect any bystanders while he will be handling the criminals. This leads them to a church. Alpha One breaks the windows’ glass and orders the gangsters to lay down face on the floor. One of the gangsters pulls off a gun but Alpha one quickly disarms him with his laser. Grabbing the gangster, he asks him how many of them there are. The gangster says they are all downstairs. Cole rushes downstairs despite Alpha One’ instructions, only to be surrounded by the remaining gangsters who hold him at gunpoint. But before they can kill him, Alpha One puts himself between Cole and the criminals, who are killed because they are getting caught in their own crossfire. Alpha One and Cole goes outside. Alpha One asks Cole to give him his hand. Cole complies, and Alpha One squeezes it painfully to remind him that he can be injured and even killed. He orders him to follow his instructions during their next operation.
Another day, Alpha One intervenes against a gang of robbers and calmly suggests them to put down their guns and walk out the bank. The robbers fires at him, and Alpha one ignites their guns. He then realizes a hostage, a young mother, has been mortally caught in the fire. Alpha One blames himself for this loss and apologizes to the young boy for his failure. Cole explains also his backstory to the boy and Alpha One’s rescue of him to conform him.
In the evening, Alpha One comes to see Cole to thank him to help him comfort the boy. Cole tells him it is okay and invites him for a drink in a bar. Alpha One accepts. He meets Cole’s wife and commands a non-alcohol drink. He then asks Cole why he didn’t take the direction of Section Omega. Cole answers that he has no time with this as he needs to spend time with his wife. But according to Alpha One, Cole is the ideal candidate for the job as he is able to connect with people and give them hope. Alpha One not only respects Cole but trusts him. He then invites the cop to his headquarters, to which the cop accepts.
After landing in Alpha One’s headquarters, he shows to Cole his monitor room, which he calls the “Eagle’s nest”, a room with hundreds of screens showing parts around the world to the superhero in order to keep him aware of what is going on. Alpha One proposes to Cole to wander in the sanctuary because he wants to analyze something about him. Cole accepts, but he suddenly gets locked into a room and gets a painful headache causing him to bleed. Alpha One notices the situation and opens the room. He explains that the room is a hyperbaric one. He needs it to clean himself from pollutants from Earth because it is somewhat toxic to him. When asked why Cole is the first person to enter into his headquarters, he admits that he just wanted to have a good time with him.
Later, Alpha one makes a eulogy about the late Shaw, requests a moment of silence, and formally introduces his partner Cole to the media. He then puts his signal device, the “Alpha brand” into Cole’s hand. In the evening, Cole is dinning with his wife, but Alpha One suddenly irrupts in his apartment. He thought Cole was in problem and wanted to see if everyone is alright. Cole thinks he accidentally activated the signal. Alpha One apologizes and then flies away.
The next day, Alpha One convokes Cole on the roof of the Omega One building, much to the captain relief as he was in a press conference. Alpha reveals he has tapes of Cole speaking to the press. The instant after, he senses a chemical fire and flies to the incident place. After having analyzed the situation, he flies to Antarctica and brings back a big ice block to New York, which he breaks down with his laser, to prevent the fire from spreading. He then goes into the building in fire, spots the people trapped inside an elevator, and rescues them all. Cole notices Alpha strangely shaking. The latter assures him he is all right and that he is just sad that four people still died in the fire.
On the evening, Alpha One is at Cole’s apartment and cooks a meal for them. The meal comes from Alpha’s mother Abigail. Cole is fascinated that Alpha has hobbies like this, just like normal human beings. Alpha One tells him it is better people know him as a generic superhero and reveals that the members of his species are now extinct.
After Janet went to bed, Cole shows to Alpha One a figurine of him he has since childhood. Moved, Alpha admits he is fine with these merchandises since the profits goes to Section Omega although he is not comfortable being merchandised and reveals to Cole his father also died when Alpha was just six years old. They go on the roof to observe the stars and Alpha One proposes to take Cole up to the Hubble telescope, as the NASA owes him some favors and Cole is now his friend, which Cole gladly accepts.
Later in the night, Janet calls Alpha One, who is surprised to see her instead of Cole. Janet apologizes for calling him and admits she wanted to see him. Thinking Janet makes a pass on him, Alpha One says it is okay and takes her hand. Much to his embarrassment, Janet bluntly reveals that the call was about Cole, that she worries about how his job of working with Alpha is dangerous and tells him to make sure Cole is not killed.
Three months pass and the duo work extremely well together, much to Cole’s satisfaction. Alpha One, after fixing a dam in Africa, warns him that it is not always going well like this, but reassures him their work from now is only the beginning.
True colors revealed[]
One day, Alpha One provokes an accident on the road by zipping on the wheels of a truck, killing some people. He then kidnaps a survivor and warns her to not squirm, assuring her she has a great destiny to fulfill. When Cole arrives to the accident scene, Alpha is with him, lamenting the deaths. However. Cole begins to slowly have doubt on Alpha One when a surviving victim reveals Alpha was the one who provoked the accident and did not do anything until the reporters arrived and when Taylor Rhines, a former police captain, warns him about what he is capable about.
In the night, Alpha One finds Rhines and makes him know how he is disappointed in him. Rhines brands his gun to Alpha, but the latter is not afraid because he is nothing now. Rhines shoots at him, inly for Alpha to take the bullet and throws it back at the man, killing him instantly. Remembering the days when both were a team, Alpha finds a hair belonging to him in the room, then throws the hair by the windows to erase incriminating evidence against him.
Returning to his lair, Alpha visits the kidnapped woman, revealing he severed her spinal cord. He tries to calm the woman, assuring her he just wants to help. He prepares a solution in a syringe, explaining to the woman this is a very precise procedure and that she cannot understand it. He then injects the solution into the woman’s back and he is satisfied of the woman strength. He then takes the woman and locks her into a tank, welcoming her to his world.
Going back to the Omega Section, he assists the autopsy of Taylor Rhines, lamenting his death because he was a good man and that he tried to help him for years. Cole assures him his presence is not needed since it is just a routine procedure. Alpha understands and leaves the room.
In the night, Alpha One visits Cole, bringing an astronaut suit for him, to honor his promise to take him into space. They do so and the scenery impresses Cole. Alpha One remarks how it is impressive that Earth is so full of life while it could have been lifeless and reveals he sometimes throws space junks into the planet atmosphere to create failing stars This gives hope to people and make them believe their wishes come true. Alpha confesses to Cole he regrets to not being able to grant all the wishes and that he wonders how many lives he could not have saved or how many disasters he could not have prevented. Cole comforts him that he is doing all he can, which makes Alpha One smile and say he is happy to have Cole as a friend.
In the morning, Alpha One realizes Gabriel is with Janet in a subway and stalks them by following the metro line outside flying. He listens to their conversation and flies into the sky, broking some windows in the process.
Later, Alpha one and Cole are on a mission to stop terrorists from making a bomb. Alpha scans the building, spotting the terrorists, and irrupts into the building. One of the terrorists tells him they were not expecting him, but Alpha ignores him and punches them all. Hearing Cole coming, he destroys some weapons and confirms to the cop they are dealing with a nuclear bomb. A survivor claims they were making the bomb for Alpha One himself. Alpha explains to Cole the terrorist has lost his mind and breaks the latter’s hand to have the name of the bomb supplier. The terrorist persists in claiming that Alpha One was their leader and asks him why he is torturing him. Alpha leaves the man to Cole, revealing that the terrorist is also a rapist, and leaves with the bomb to put him on the Moon in order to not harm anyone.
Gabriel receives a call about Janet apparently being killed in a car accident and leaves the building. Alpha One goes back to see the terrorist. He unties him, only to violently smack him on the throat, killing the terrorist.
After Janet’s funeral, Alpha One visits a mourning Cole, who is not really happy to see him, stating he worries for his well-being as he doesn’t leave his apartment often. Cole says he is all right and asks Alpha one to not disturb him. So. Alpha grills his pizza with his lasers and flies away to the city’s stadium, where he buries the nuclear bomb he and Cole picked earlier.
After, Alpha One spots Cole at a lake where he is crafting a paper boat. He states that he mentioned a friend who was in the Titanic when it sunk, and that Janet would be sad to see him in the state he is now, and shows he packed some of his things. Alpha brings Gabriel into his sanctuary to help Cole change of scenery. They watch some movies, and Alpha asks Cole if he has any doubts about him. Cole asks him how it is possible for Lapha to look so young and to be alive at the time of the Titanic. Alpha answers that he is older than he looks, that he is not American, and that the hydrogen bomb is simply a story to ease people’ minds. He explains that the idea of helping people by adopting a superhero image comes from a Superman comic book he saw. He was operating in the shadows at the time. However, before he could show himself to the world, World War II broke out, forcing him to wait until the end, deeming it was most important for humanity to let them go through this, only announcing himself in 1945. However, Alpha still keeps the origin of his powers secret because he fears the world population will not accept it and asks for Cole if he has his support. Cole says so but falls asleep. Alpha then lets him sleep and flies to Japan to stop a tsunami.
Meanwhile, Cole does some research on Alpha One’s computer and figures out Alpha lied about the bomb because his computer shows it is buried under the stadium. Alpha contacts Cole reveals his location and asks Cole to monitor the screens and contact him in case of emergency. Cole accepts, but escapes from Alpha’s lair. Alpha, who is in Japan to receive the praise from the people, realizes Cole moved and goes back to USA in his lair. He realizes Cole has escaped and figured everything about him. He then flies to Cole’s apartment to look for him. He reveals that Alpha’s brand is a device to help him know the bearer’s location. At the last moment, Alpha sees that the signal came from Shaw’s hand, which Cole deterred and put into his microwave with a bomb and escapes the apartment in time before the explosion. Contraried, he manages to find him in his car and to reach him. Cole claims that there is a tape in case Alpha kills him. In response, Alpha grabs him and shoots his laser into his mouth, causing Cole to become mute, and leaves him to have an accident with his car.
After, Alpha One goes to the stadium, interrupting a baseball game, to go underground to recuperate the nuclear bomb, then flies into space to the Moon to throw the bomb here where it explodes. Back to Earth, Alpha swears in front of the crowd cheering at him he will not rest until the bombers get arrested.
Unwillingly called by Cole’s companion, Alpha One kidnaps Cole while killing his friend. And throws him on the rooftop of a building. Assuring Cole that his voice will return, he explains he stages things like the one with the bomb to have people completely trust him. Alpha then reveals to Gabriel that Janet is alive, much to the cop’s surprise, and that she is in his sanctuary. Cole then accepts to go with Alpha into his lair.
There, Alpha shows his lab to Cole, which contains many people he kidnapped through the years into tanks. Janet is among them. A revolted Cole hits Alpha, but he coldly advises him to listen to what he has to say, while Cole hurting himself with his hands. Alpha explains he was so much like him when he was living on his homeworld over 230 years ago. Back in that time, Alpha was a Senator and to address the problem of the overpopulation of his planet, he suggested to wipe out ten percent of the population. The rest of the politicians did not approve of his views. Alpha one then rebelled against them but was overpowered and banished to Venus. By pure luck, the penal ship crashed on earth, killing all its crew safe Alpha One. Alpha was attacked by some soldiers, which he killed all with his laser. Then he observed the humanity evolution and the effects the Earth atmosphere has on him, and he decided to stay. Deeming the humanity as chaotic and fragile, he decided to prevent the problems his homeworld had to endure and kidnapped thousands of people to conduct experiments on them to convert them into superpowered people. He spliced and recombined his DNA with the ones of humans, failing many times. But he finally succeeding by perfecting the process after trial and error. Originally, he attempted to create his race by having sex with women (some of them were not consenting), but his was a failure as the two species are not genetically compatible. The only thing he has to do is to inject a trigger gene to his subjects to become obedient to him. He then explains that Janet has the same powers as him and reveals he was the one who provoked the accident of Cole’ parents. He nevertheless offers Cole to join him in his quest to fix the world, as he trusts him completely. Cole seemingly accepts and submits, rejoicing Alpha One.
Final showdown[]
About to begin the procedure, Gabriel kicks Alpha One and tries to release Janet, but instead burns his hands. An angered Alpha one grabs him and taunts him about the “tragic waste he has now made of his life”, but is attacked by Zachary, another of his subject he took under his wing when he was young and grieving his mother and pet fish Blackbeard. Alpha One begs him to calm down, but Zachary is too angry to reason with. Having enough, Alpha grabs him by the throat and ejects him of his sanctuary. He then accuses Gabriel to turn one of his children against him and assaults the cop. He orders him to pick up his weapon. Gabriel does so and points his gun at him, saying he is under arrest. Alpha One is baffled. Gabriel then shoots nitrogen balls at him (having discovered those thanks to a record of Rhines), which can genuinely hurt Alpha. Gabriel repeats to Alpha one he is under arrest, but Alpha One violently shuts him up and attacks him again. Alpha One laments how much Gabriel and he could have formed a great team and claims that his “friend’s” death is only a minor inconvenient. He is then punched in the face by Cole. Alpha One states his incomprehension of Gabriel’s refusal to join him and have his powers. Cole retorts that he has no right to tell what Cole wants, to which Alpha One claims he is his god and that Cole could also become one if he wasn’t such rebellious. Alpha then tries to strangle, but Cole, having acquired Alpha’s powers, shoots him with his laser, much to Alpha’s surprise.
Enraged, Alpha One resumes beating and admonishing Cole. But given Alpha’s lack of fighting skills, Gabriel easily overpowers him, punches him several times and throws him away. Alpha grabs his feet, makes Gabriel fall to the ground, and tries to kill him with his laser, admitting that Gabriel doesn’t deserve the fate he thought for him. However, Cole stands up and holds back Alpha One. This ends in both zapping themselves with laser. Alpha One survives but feels his lungs are burning and needs air. He immediately flies to his hyperbaric chamber but finds out with surprise that Cole changed the mixture of room. This causes him to fall unconscious.
Gabriel frees Janet, locks Alpha one into the same tank he locked thousands of humans in, and lies to the population that Alpha One left Earth and that he trust humanity being able to take care of themselves.
Personality[]
Alpha One is a charismatic, humble, and caring man who seems to care a lot about the humanity. He is easily regretful in every situation he couldn't prevent some loss and he is nice but firm with Cole, not hesitating to remind him to follow his instructions because the latter is just a normal human being who could be killed at any moment.
However, the qualities mentionned below are revealed to be completely fake. Deep down, Alpha One is a manipulative, doomineering, controlling, cold and ruthless being capable of extreme cruelty. Due to his civilization being more advanced than humankind and to its people having superpowers, he considers humans to be racially inferior than his species. Flashbacks show he was radical even among his species, coldly suggesting them to wipe out a tenth of the population to prevent extinction while it is implied less extreme options were available. He cares very little about humanity, being more than happy to experiment on them in various ways and uncaring of the collateral deaths caused by the various accidents he himself provoked and seeing them as little more than sheeps to be dominated.
But despite his superficial persona and his cold and ruthless nature, it can be argued that he genuinely bonded with Gabriel Cole. He openly trusted him and confied secret things about him that Cole is implied to be the very first police captain to know. He even proposed him to be his second in his hegemonic scheme and was overjoyed Cole seemingly accepted it. Even when Cole turned against him, Alpha One was at first baffled and implored Cole to stop fighting against him. However, when the cop makes it clear he will not submit to Alpha One, the latter utlimately writes him off as a waste and has no problems trying to kill him.
At the end, Alpha One is a scheming and megalomaniacal individual with a bit of a God complex, who puts his domination scheme above everything else, even Cole.
Trivia[]
- Alpha One's red outline in his speech bubbles is eventually revealed to be an echo in his voice. This is shown by a blue outline in human voice when they get the powers of Alpha One and Gabriel Cole telling to Janet to stop that "creepy echo".
Gallery[]
