VINDICATOR III
Real Name: None
Assigned Name: James MacDonald Hudson
Other Aliases: Guardian III
Group Affiliation: Former member of Beta Flight, former member of Alpha Flight
First Appearance: Alpha Flight v2 #1
Final Appearance: Wolverine #143
Creator: Steve Seagle

        The second man to call himself James MacDonald Hudson was not actually a man at all, but an artificial being called a synthoid.

        The synthoid was made in the image of James Hudson as a young man, and given memories stolen from Hudson's mind. An explanation for the age difference and fuzzy memories was given by Department H, the synthoid's creators.

        According to the Department, at one point early in his career James Hudson was critically injured by a berserk Wolverine. Department H saved him by using some technology obtained from the High Evolutionary. This device, a "de-evolver," saved his life by making it seem as if the day had never happened... as far as his cells were concerned. "De-evolving" the day away therefore had the effect of healing him.

        The Department claimed that James had decided to use the de-evolver to get rid of the Qu'wrlln technology in his body. Unfortunately the device overloaded, and James ended up 19 years old. [Confused? If you read the Guardian entry all this stuff about the Qu'wrlln will be explained. -C]

        The Department's tale had a number of holes in it for anyone familiar with the histories of Hudson, Department H and Wolverine, but it was quite sufficient for the confused James II. Convinced he was James Hudson, it was easy for the Department to install him as leader of a new Alpha Flight.

        This new role proved to be rather hard on the young man. Besides the pressure of leading his country's super-heroes, James II also had to deal with an estranged wife that he couldn't really remember. Despite being intensely attracted to Heather he was also quite receptive when his other female team-mate, Murmer, started to approach him. Murmer, after all, was much closer to his own age.

        On the battlefield James' insecurities led him to be extremely harsh towards any perceived undermining of his authority. This was especially true with regards to suggestions from the more experienced Puck.

        James II eventually overcame his doubts and insecurities about the life that had been pressed upon him. Towards the end of Alpha Flight v2, when he encountered his doppleganger, he proved himself a highly capable leader of Alpha Flight.

        At the time that Alpha Flight v2 was cancelled, it was revealed that Department H knew which Hudson was the synthoid, and which was human. Department head Mr. Gentry initially refused to reveal this information, feeling that neither Hudson should feel that his life was somehow inferior due to its artificial nature. The facts of the matter were eventually revealed, and James II discovered his true history. The younger Hudson became leader of a new version of Beta Flight and adopted the code-name Vindicator.

        Department H sent both James Hudsons on a mission to find Garrison Kane, aka Weapon X. During the mission they were captured by a splinter faction of A.I.M, [Advanced Idea Mechanics -C]. A rescue mission was mounted, and after being released from captivity by Wolverine, James II hijacked an A.I.M battlesuit to replace his own missing one. The suit took heavy damage in combat with A.I.M leader Modok, and caught fire. Trapped inside, James II was killed when the battlesuit exploded.

        Vindicator III wore a suit of highly technological armor that enabled him to utilize electro-magnetic energy for various effects. The suit's capabilities are discussed fully under the Guardian entry.