Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.

Today we look at that great Canadian hero: Puck

Appearances in Heroclix: Invincible Iron Man, Mutant Mayhem

First Appearance: Alpha Flight #1

Team Affiliations: Alpha Flight, Beta Flight, Gamma Flight, X-Force

Created by: John Byrne

The man known as Puck started life as Eugene Milton Judd. Born in 1914 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Eugene began traveling the world when he came of age and spent years as a soldier of fortune, bouncer, and intelligence agent. During these early years, he was hired to steal the Black Blade of Baghdad. Unbeknownst to Judd, the blade was actually a prison for an ancient sorcerer named Black Raazer. When Judd grabs the blade, it accidentally frees the ancient evil. Unwilling to let Black Raazer run rampant over the earth, Judd uses ancient mysticism and his own life force to trap the sorcerer within his own body. Though this saved the day, it also caused the formerly seven foot tall adventurer to shrink to roughly three and a half feet tall. This also resulted in Judd becoming essentially immortal though in near constant pain.

Judd went on to fight alongside Captain Terror, become friends with Ernest Hemingway, become a great bullfighter all before joining Alpha Flight and adopting the codename Puck.

During his time with Alpha Flight, Puck had several notable adventures. He helped defeat a drug ring operating out of a hospital he received treatment at. He helped battle Omega Flight, met the Sub-Mariner and fought alongside Namor against the Master. Puck was with Alpha Flight when they battled the Great Beasts (spiritual beings of great power in Canada) as well as later meeting the Beyonder and battling the Hulk.

During an encounter with the X-Men, Puck is temporarily cured of his dwarfism by a mystical well-spring. His joy was short lived, however, as the well was destroying the creative urges of those healed by it and was slowly killing those with a close connection to mystical forces, including Puck’s friend and teammate Shaman. Eventually, Alpha Flight and the X-Men came together to battle the source of the well’s power, the trickster god Loki. Besting Loki, they convinced him to reverse all the effects of the well, which includes returning Puck to his diminutive form. This also has the added side effect of making the pain he lives in even worse.

Black Raazer manages to free himself from Puck’s body, returning Puck to his actual size and actual age. At this point, Loki offers Puck the chance to be transported to Tibet and abandon his adventuring life. Puck accepts this offer but is not left alone for long, eventually becoming involved in a fight between China and Tibet. During this time, he again fights alongside Alpha Flight against the Dragon and Dreamqueen. Eventually, Puck is returned to his smaller size with the power that comes along with it and rejoins Alpha Flight.

Puck is eventually brainwashed into guarding the Goddess alongside a similarly brainwashed Spider-Man against their fellow heroes and friends. Later on, the heroes succeed and free all of those that had fallen under the thrall of the Goddess. When Puck returns home to Canada, its government brainwashes him in an attempt to have a more agreeable Alpha Flight, though this plan eventually fails.

Puck is among the members of Alpha Flight killed by the Collective. He helps Wolverine escape from Hell but is unable to escape himself at this time. He is shown winning the battle for the Devil’s sword after the rebellion that he and Wolverine incited, making him the ruler of Hell. However, when Odin’s brother the Serpent set out to drive the world into fear, Puck reappears and rescues Guardian. He reveals that he had somehow managed to escape from Hell.