ALF
Real Name: Alf
Identity/Class: Extradimensional/alternate reality
(Reality-88131) dog (Canis woofus
familiaris)
Occupation: Pet
Group Membership: briefly Tanner family (Brian, Eric,
Kate, Lynn, Willie) (all Reality-88131)
Affiliations: Gordon Shumway (aka ALF), Rhonda
(last name unrevealed), Skip (last name unrevealed) (all Reality-88131)
Enemies: Alien Task Force, Mark Bittner,
senator (name unrevealed) (all Reality-88131)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile in the Milky Way
Galaxy;
formerly Los Angeles, USA
(Reality-88131)
First Appearance: ALF#49 (January, 1992)
Powers/Abilities: Alf is a dog of mixed and
undefined breed. He is a domesticated and very friendly dog with a big
appetite, and protective of his adopted human family. As a dog, he has
well-developed senses of smell, hearing and sight, and can run faster
than humans.
Height: 3'
Weight: 75 lbs.
Eyes: Dark brown
Hair: Orange ("red" or "dark
gold", depending on its breed mix)
History:
(ALF#49 (fb) - BTS) - Extraterrestrial Gordon Shumway
(aka ALF) readied his belongings to leave his adopted family, the
Tanners in Los Angeles, to protect them from the zealous Mark Bittner
and his Alien Task Force, who were intent on capturing him. Near the house, ALF
chanced upon a friendly stray dog that looked remarkably like him.
(ALF#49) - At the private farewell party organized by
the Tanner family, where the Tanners gave ALF simple gifts, ALF
presented the stray dog to mixed reactions. At first, ALF thought the
dog was being affable, but it jumped on the table for the big farewell cake,
demonstrating a voracious appetite like ALF. The two youngest children
were delighted with the resemblance and wanted to keep it and the
parents agreed. Little Brian dubbed the dog Alf and flippantly abbreviated it as
Adorable Little Furball (similar to Shumway's ALF moniker being short for
Alien Life Form). Meanwhile, fellow Melmacians Rhonda and Skip arrived
to have ALF marry them.
(ALF#50/1) - Alf the dog joined the Tanner family
observe ALF as he officiated the marriage ceremony, but the dog became
anxious at the sudden arrival of Bittner, his senator friend and the Alien Task
Force (with reporter Randal "Scandal" Prendergast following them). The
Tanners and Alf held the front door shut, holding the authorities at
bay, but ALF dawdled, nervous with his goodbye instead of rushing away
with Rhonda and Skip. As the door broke, ALF and Alf rushed to Rhonda's
spaceship, its exhaust fumes obscuring view and causing much chaos. In
the smokey confusion, ALF donned his Holohumanizer belt device and scanned the
dog's form to create a hard-light holographic disguise replicating the dog. The real Alf
dog made it aboard the spaceship with Rhonda and Skip, and they blasted into
space, while ALF used the holographic disguise to evade Bittner and the
Alien Task Force. With the press there, Bittner and the senator left
humiliated, believing the Tanners harbored no alien after all, just an odd-looking dog.
Comments: Created by Michael Gallagher, Dave Manak, Marie Severin.
The puns fly thick and fast in Marvel's ALF comic stories, so I won't explain everything.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Alf the dog has no known connections to:
images:
(without ads)
ALF#49, p21, pan1 (main image)
ALF#50/1, p9, pan4 (barking!)
Appearances:
ALF#49 (January, 1992) - Michael Gallagher (writer), Dave Manak
(pencils), Marie Severin (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
ALF#50/1 (February, 1992) - Michael Gallagher (writer), Dave Manak
(pencils), Marie Severin (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
First posted: 07/15/2025
Last updated:
07/15/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™
and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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