Justin Trudeau is following in his father’s footsteps in more ways than one.
Nearly 40 years after former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau appeared in an issue of Uncanny X-Men, his son is being featured in another Marvel comic. CBC News reports that the younger Trudeau will grace the variant cover of Civil War II: Choosing Sides #5, which is set to be released on August 31.
The idea formed when Marvel asked comic book writer Chip Zdarsky to write a story that featured Alpha Flight. Alpha Flight is a Canadian superhero team created by John Byrne that made its debut in the same 1979 X-Men issue in which Trudeau’s father appeared. Alpha Flight then had its own comic book series between 1983 and 1994.
“I kind of figured to do a story about Canada right now and not take that opportunity to put Trudeau in seemed like a waste,” Zdarsky told CBC News. “He seems to be the popular culture association with Canada right now, right behind [Toronto rapper] Drake—and I probably couldn’t get Drake in the comic.” Zdarsky added that he notified Trudeau’s office and, though it didn’t endorse the comic, it okayed its publication.
The story will see Alpha Flight seeking advice from Trudeau. Rather than having him simply be a walk-on character, “I liked the idea of him actually engaging them in an ethical debate,” Zdarsky said.
Trudeau’s character will appear on the comic book’s variant cover wearing boxing gear designed with a red maple leaf, illustrated by Ramon Perez—quite true to the prime minister’s life considering his past as a boxer.