The Importance of Being Deadly

*“You have made a grievous error, Ernest St. Ives. You have taken from me my sister and my friend. And for that I will kill you.”*

—**Northstar**, *Alpha Flight #7*

### Character(s)

Northstar
Aurora
Deadly Ernest
Raymonde Belmonde
Nemesis
Danielle Belmonde

**The Importance of Being Deadly** is an Alpha Flight storyline written and drawn by John Byrne, with colors by Andy Yanchus and letters by Michael Higgins.

The story was first published in *Alpha Flight* #7-8 in 1984. It introduces Raymonde Belmonde, a key figure in Northstar's past, as well as the supervillain Deadly Ernest.

## Story

### Part 1: The Importance of Being Deadly

Jean-Paul and his sister Jeanne-Marie are finishing Jeanne-Marie's appointment with Doctor Bosson in Montreal. Jean-Paul asks the doctor if he has determined what is wrong with Jeanne-Marie, to which Jeanne-Marie snaps back that nothing is wrong with her. Doctor Bosson pulls Jean-Paul to the side to discuss Jeanne-Marie, and he, too, believes there is nothing wrong with her. Jean-Paul thinks to himself that he shouldn't have expected the doctor to not recognize Jeanne-Marie's two personalities in just one meeting, and also remembers his first meeting both Jeanne-Marie and Aurora. Doctor Bosson ends the conversation by telling Jean-Paul he cannot force Jeanne-Marie to be the person he wants, for if she truly is suffering from split personalities, a third one might take control of her.

The twins decide to go out for lunch after the meeting with the doctor. Jean-Paul tells Jeanne-Marie of Raymonde Belmonde, who owns a cafe on the street they were walking down. He opens up about his relationship with Raymonde, who helped him through difficult times. Suddenly, Jeanne-Marie's purse is grabbed by a mugger. Aurora's personality takes over and she quickly apprehends the criminal, punching him a hundred times in just a second. A half hour later, at the police station, an officer reveals that the mugger's bond was posted by a man called Deadly Ernest. The police want to put Ernest in prison, but he keeps managing to make any case against him disappear.

On the street, Raymonde Belmonde rushes to Jean-Paul, having heard of the events on the street earlier. Jean-Paul introduces Jeanne-Marie to Raymonde, who is surprised to learn of her. He takes the twins to his empty cafe. Deadly Ernest is responsible for Raymonde's loss of income, but just as he starts speaking of his issues with Ernest, his daughter Danielle walks in.

Jean-Paul is shocked to discover Raymonde had a daughter from when he was a "very different man". Aurora returns the conversation to Deadly Ernest, and Raymonde informs them that he has put out orders to harass any possible customers of Raymonde's.

Deadly Ernest arrives at the cafe and sends his henchmen inside to get Raymonde. The thugs shove Jean-Paul and Danielle aside and take Raymonde and Aurora out to Ernest. Jean-Paul goes to stop them, but realizes he can't use his powers in front of Danielle or she'd discover that he's the superhero Northstar. Outside, Raymonde refuses to sell his cafe to Ernest, so Ernest apologizes to Raymonde and touches his face, killing him instantly. Ernest's men grab Aurora and throw her into the car, escaping just as Jean-Paul and Danielle find Raymonde's lifeless body. Jean-Paul, filled with rage, vows to kill Ernest and avenge one of the most important figures in his life.

### Part 2: Cold Hands Cold Heart

Now in costume as Northstar, Jean-Paul soars above the sky of Montreal in search of Deadly Ernest's whereabouts. Earlier, Jean-Paul sat in the hospital with Danielle as the doctor who performed the autopsy could not find a cause of death for Raymonde. As such, he cannot prove that Raymonde was murdered. Jean-Paul tells Danielle not to worry.

Northstar, having found out Ernest's public address, flies into the mansion. After crashing through a window, Northstar finds it suspicious that there are no alarms in the building, as well as an old, musty smell. When Northstar opens a door, he gasps at what he sees. Elsewhere, atop the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, a figure clad in red wielding a sharp blade prepares for battle. She reveals herself to be Nemesis, and she, too, is out for Deadly Ernest's head.

Back at the mansion, Northstar is stunned to find Aurora sitting seductively on Ernest's desk. A henchman knocks Northstar out from behind, and Ernest asks if Aurora knew him. "He is... my cousin, Jacques, and your thugs have nearly killed him!" Ernest apologizes to Aurora and has his men take Northstar to another room while they can continue discussing business. In the room, Northstar is confronted by Nemesis. The pair decide to work together as they both have the same goal: to kill Deadly Ernest. Nemesis uses her sword, which is "scarcely an atom's width thick", to unlock the door.

Over dinner, Aurora asks Deadly Ernest about his powers over death. Ernest reveals his backstory, having survived certain death during World War I. He rejected Death when it approached him, and somehow gained the power to kill anyone he touched. Aurora is surprised at his story, but believes him. Nemesis and Northstar find Ernest's dining room and Nemesis reveals she wishes to kill Ernest to bring peace to her and her father's souls. Aurora reveals her true identity to Ernest, and a battle ensues.

Ernest grabs Nemesis in an attempt to kill her, but she tells him, "You cannot steal the life of one who has no life to take." She cuts in all directions, eviscerating Ernest. Northstar, believing Nemesis to be Danielle, yells for her to stop, but it is too late. Northstar pulls Nemesis's mask from her face, only to be horrified at her lifeless eyes. She knocks Northstar away from her and flees before the police arrive.

Minutes later, Northstar and Aurora fly away from the scene of the crime. They return to Raymonde's cafe to find Danielle, who Aurora reveals was Deadly Ernest's accomplice the entire time. Danielle attempts to flee, thinking Ernest can help her, but Aurora tells her that he's dead, "And if this country had a nice civilized death penalty you would join him." Danielle is arrested, and Northstar and Aurora discuss the events. Northstar tells his sister that he thought she romanced Ernest in exchange for safety, to which Aurora angrily storms off, stating she never wants to see Northstar again. After losing Raymonde, Northstar begs her not to leave him, as he'll be all alone.

## Featured characters

### Supporting character(s)

* Aurora
* Raymonde Belmonde
* Nemesis

### Antagonist(s)

* Deadly Ernest
* Danielle Belmonde

### Other character(s)

* Death
* **Doctor Bosson**, Jean-Marie's psychologist in Quebec

## Collected editions

* **Alpha Flight Classic Vol. 1** collects Alpha Flight (1983) #1-8, 224 pages, April 2007, ISBN ‎ 978-0785127468

## External links

* Alpha Flight #7 on Marvel Database
* Alpha Flight #8 on Marvel Database